British tabloid The Sun online bingo revenues are proving to be publisher News Group Digital’s biggest cash cow. Revenues from commercial relationships rocketed 280 percent in the last financial year, with the best performer, Sun Bingo, having pulled in £3.8 million ($7.65 million), according to figures obtained by The Guardian. The pay-to-play online game claims 110K monthly unique users. Other partnerships include The Sun Online Poker and betting services from Ladbrookes. News Group Digital ad revenue was up 44 percent, though starting from a low base, overall revenue climbing 100 percent year-on-year to over £30 million.
Though MD Mike Gordon apparently admitted to be “making it up as we go along’, he is projecting £3.2 million ($6.44 million) annual revenue from the mobile soccer video highlights service the company has launched using Barclays Premiership rights owned by News Corp bedfellow BSkyB. Clips cost £5 ($10.06) per month or £0.50 ($1.01) each. The Sun Online got 9.4 million unique users in July – its second best ever performance (and in a summer month!)