paidContent: Guardian iPhone app could net £2 million a year

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on January 14, 2010 at 12:01 PM

Income from iPhone apps is nothing to scoff at. The Guardian's app costs £2.39, and the UK newspaper announced it has sold almost 69,000 app downloads since the app's launch in December. At that rate, income from the app alone could reach £1.97 million a year, paidContent reported today.

In the first 48 hours after launching the app, the Guardian made £20,000. It is currently listed in the top 10 news apps on Apple's Web site. However, Apple does get a 30 percent commission, and these figures are before that commission is taken, paidContent pointed out.

"We are thrilled with our download figures for the first month of the app. The feedback we have received from users has been excellent, yet also extremely informative in terms of features and functionality that can be improved in the future. Over the Christmas break the app became available in many areas of mainland Europe, as well as in Canada and Australia for the first time, so we hope our global audiences will enjoy using the app as well," Emily Bell, director of digital content at Guardian News & Media, stated in a press release. (paidContent pointed out that Bell has said in the past that paying for online news content is "a stupid idea.")

To support the mobile app online, Guardian has a section devoted to the iPhone app, with tutorials and information.