The Daily Mail has passed 400,000 digital subscribers for its Mail+ service, less than two years after launch , a signal that one of the world’s largest free news brands is gaining traction with a paid model.
The milestone matters because it shows a tabloid publisher long associated with mass free reach can convert a meaningful slice of its audience into paying readers, strengthening the case for hybrid models that blend scale with subscription revenue.
The figure was announced by Ailsa Leslie, editor of Mail+, in a post on LinkedIn. “Today we hit 400k digital Mail subs in under 2 years! Such an incredible journey to be part of,” Leslie said.
The growth marks a rapid climb. Mail+ launched in the UK in January 2024 and reached 100,000 subscribers by November that year, before passing 250,000 in March 2025. The latest increase suggests momentum has continued as the publisher expanded into the US and Australia.
That expansion has been paired with a broader effort to simplify the brand. In July 2025, dmg media brought its digital properties under a single Daily Mail identity , part of a “One Daily Mail” strategy designed to align its global audience and commercial operations.
Content remains central to the push. The subscription offer leans heavily on areas where the title already dominates , including Femail, health, royal coverage and columnists , while the Mail+ Editions app provides a digital replica for print readers moving online.
The company has set a target of one million digital subscribers by October 2028. On current growth, it is ahead of that pace.
Editor-in-chief Ted Verity has previously framed the strategy as a validation of the brand’s editorial proposition. “The success of Mail+ is proof that readers are happy to pay for the kind of high-quality journalism the Mail has long been famous for,” he said.
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