The Daily Mail plans to expand its US operations, as the UK newspaper looks to capitalise on its growing audience across the Atlantic.
The Guardian reports that the Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) will double its US Mail Online operation as part of a multi-million pound investment in its digital business.
Currently Mail Online employs 30 to 40 staff in the US, new staff numbers are likely to be around 80 employees.
The expansion will focus on expanding its editorial bureaux in New York and Los Angeles, as well as increasing UK and US video editors, as well as a “significant” investment in technology.
Mail Online, grew revenue by 74 per cent to £28 million in the year to 30 September, reaching profitability for the first time in June.
Speaking to the Guardian, DMGT’s chief executive, Martin Morgan, said that despite hiving off Northcliffe Media, the increasingly business-to-business focused company remained committed to developing the Daily Mail brand on the internet.
“There is absolute commitment to our print papers. We have been very focused on building the Mail business, broadly defined: the Mail brand,” he said.
Stephen Daintith, DMGT’s finance director, said the company had been somewhat “surprised” at how popular the Mail Online brand had proved internationally and was looking at “at most a doubling” of the US staff.
“Mail Online is very much an investment story for DMGT,” he said. “Audiences around the world have surprised us, particularly in the US”.
Mail Online launched an Indian version of the site this year.
Read The Guardian report here
