The owner of The Daily Telegraph’s view of the trading environment in its newly published annual accounts was more bearish than a year ago. TMG described how print publishers now have a “less certain” role because of “competition from the proliferation of free digital content and the increasing role of large-scale digital platforms in distributing and aggregating content”, particularly on mobile.
The accounts went on: “Traditional print advertising revenue will also continue to be difficult to replicate online, with digital content publishers facing challenges from the increasing use of ad-blocking technology, pressure on digital advertising yields and the intense competition from large-scale digital platforms.” The two tech giants Facebook and Google (although not named) have been taking upwards of 85% all digital ad growth in the last 12 months, according to industry analysts.