The legacy publisher Time dropped its paywall last June, making it one of only a handful of news organizations—alongside Quartz and TechCrunch—to raise and later remove a paywall.
Since then, Time has seen advertising revenues rise, digital subscribers evaporate, and traffic remain relatively flat, according to data shared by Time and measurement firm Comscore.
A number of variables, beyond the removal of its paywall, play a role in explaining these changes. Traffic has declined across the industry, for instance, and Time has had more resources to devote to its advertising business.
“Removing the paywall was the right decision for our mission and purpose at Time,” said chief executive Jessica Sibley.
