Why this business news outlet ditched advertising to focus entirely on paid subscriptions

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If you attend any media industry conference, you'll hear lots of discussions from publishers about how they're trying to diversify their revenue streams, but Todd Scott took the opposite approach. A few years ago, he announced the National Business Review, the New Zealand media outlet he runs, would no longer accept advertising and instead monetize solely through paid subscriptions. NBR now has over 14,000 subscribers paying $499 New Zealand dollars a year. In 2025, it's projected to generate $4.5 million in revenue and is profitable.

In a recent interview, Todd walked me through how he acquired NBR, why he ditched advertising, and his plans to license his publishing technology to media outlets all across the world.