Half of MailOnline usage 'on mobile by end of year'

More than half of all usage of MailOnline will be on mobile by the end of this year, parent company Daily Mail & General Trust said today.

Chief financial officer Stephen Daintith made the forecast as he reported 43% already using mobile to access MailOnline, the world’s most popular newspaper website.

Annual revenues will hit £45 million, up two-thirds, and should reach £100 million in “three to five years”.

Online readership has jumped by more than a fifth to 111 million web browsers, and US brands like retail chain Macy’s and TV giants Fox and ABC are advertising for the first time.

In a watershed moment, Daintith said digital advertising growth is offsetting falls in print ads at DMG Media, DMGT’s newspaper and consumer business which includes the Daily Mail, Metro and websites Jobrapido and Zoopla.

“We’re not chasing profits at this stage — our goal is growing global revenues,” said Daintith, referring to MailOnline’s free ad-funded model.

Digital should generate close to £200 million or a quarter of revenues at DMG Media. Underlying sales at DMGT, a minority shareholder in the Evening Standard, rose 2% in the five months to February.