Digital media

All newspapers and magazines, and all TV programs have websites and often apps (for tablets and smartphones) as well. Revenues are modest with 3 percent coming from digital. Most national newspapers introduced hard, soft of metered paywalls in the last years. As publishers of newspapers don’t report on the numbers of subscribers or revenues of these models, nothing can be said about the success of these business models.

Until the spring of 2014 digital reach was measured for all media brands. Four media dominated: online-only platform Nu.nl (owned by magazine publisher Sanoma), popular newspaper platforms Telegraaf.nl and Ad.nl and public broadcaster Nos.nl. Quality newspapers Volkskrant and NRC and commercial broadcaster RTL formed the second group.

In 2016 a new research was set up, and again Nu.nl, Nos.nl, Ad.nl, Telegraaf.nl, Rtl.nl, Volkskrant.nl were in the top ten. (NOBO, November 2016). The new research combined use on all devices (computer, laptop, tablet and smartphone). Nu.nl (2nd) reached 45 percent of the population older than 6, olkskrant.nl (10th) reached 18 percent.

There is a growing number of online-only media in the Netherlands. Some focus on news (Decorrespondent.nl, Nu.nl, hundreds of hyperlocals) and others on specific subjects like tech, finance, food, culture or lifestyle. The online newsstand Blendle.nl reached one million subscribers in 2016.