Courtesy of Michael Cairns, I learned that the Financial Times continues to expand its online offering, most recently acquiring Medley Global Advisors, which specializes in hedge-fund information.
Even though the FT commands a hefty subscription price, the newspaper and its parent company are looking to move away from advertising as a revenue pillar. They also see the future as increasingly digital – Medley and other acquisitions are being rolled into the newspaper’s online resource, FT.com.
If you’re a hammer, it’s always a risk that you’ll start thinking every problem can be solved with a nail. Still, I do see these kinds of developments as evidence that ad-driven media businesses will need to shift their revenue base and grow the value of data in the overall mix.
