Pearson: Running Away from the Ad Economy
Pearson, owner of the Financial Times and half-owner of the Economist, has made a major point of its growing reader revenues, earned through direct licensing and digital subscriptions. Today, it offered its full-year report. Lots of interesting numbers from the education/book/news publisher. Two that stand out:
- 30% of revenues total now come from digital sources throughout its enterprises, double what it was five years ago.
- 3% of company revenues come from advertising. That’s not an issue in education and book publishing, of course, but shows how much Pearson has insulated itself from the carnage we’re seeing in businesses, mainly dependent on advertising for their sustenance.