Regional publisher Newsquest is launching an end-of-year marketing campaign to drive up digital subscriptions with a particular emphasis on its football coverage.

The group now has over 105,000 monthly paying digital subscribers having launched soft paywalls across most of its larger local news sites in 2020.

Online visitors can typically read up to 30 articles a month before paying, although a small number of articles are subscriber only.

Digital subscriptions, typically priced at £4.99 per month, include access to all content in an ad light environment as well as an e-edition of the print paper and in some cases subscriber-only newsletters.

The new campaign will offer a cut price rate of access to Newsquest sites for all of 2025 at just £25, or alternatively a six-month trial rate of £6, renewable at the standard monthly rate thereafter.

The initiative will be aimed particularly at football fans, with leafleting set to be conducted on match days outside the stadiums of teams covered by local newsrooms, including Ipswich Town, Norwich City, AFC Bournemouth, Bolton Wanderers, Watford, Blackburn Rovers, Wrexham, Oxford United and Swindon Town.

The company said in a statement:  “The end of year subs campaign will employ a variety of marketing channels including out-of-home ads such as on-street digital billboards and leafleting in key Newsquest markets.

“There will be a particular focus on promoting Newsquest’s unrivalled coverage of local football to local fans, who represent an important part of Newsquest’s subscriber base.”

The campaign will include a series of prize draws with prizes including luxury one or two-night stays at The Langdale Hotel, The Gannet Inn St Ives, Warwick Castle, and Roseate House London.

There will also be hospitality tickets to football matches throughout December, exclusive memorabilia such as a 1990 football shirt signed by Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne, and tickets to an evening with Alan Shearer.

Head of digital reader revenue Susanne Kinnaird, pictured, said: “The demand for digital subscriptions, which now sits at over 105,000, goes from strength to strength, and this campaign
positions us strongly to continue growing our digital subscriptions into 2025 and beyond.

“At the same time, we’re also continuing to grow our overall digital audience, with page views to Newsquest sites running 9pc up year on year. The data further underlines the phenomenal demand for trusted local news and the power of our local platforms which now typically reach more than 75pc of local people each month.”