The New York Times passes 1M digital-only subscribers, 4 years after launching its paywall

The New York times is often held aloft as the poster child of paywalls — a traditional media company that has successfully shifted from paper to digital. And the publishing giant announced a major milestone today to back up such assertions — it has now passed one million digital-only subscribers, a little more than four years after erecting its paywall.

Of course, the New York Times already has more than one million digital readers — those on a bundled print and digital subscription amount to 1.1 million, according to figures released by the publication. But today’s news signals a notable milestone for digital media, as people continue to ditch print for tablet, Web, and smartphone versions.

“It puts us in a unique position among global news providers,” says Mark Thompson, president and CEO of The New York Times Company. “We believe that no other news organization has achieved digital subscriber numbers like ours or comparable digital subscription revenue.”

The New York Times runs three digital-only plans — one for Web and smartphones, which costs $3.75 per week, one for Web and tablets ($5 per week), and one for all digital platforms ($8.75 per week). Its so-called “soft paywall” approach, however, means readers can still read up to 10 articles a month for free.

The publisher is also entering partnerships with third-party companies to help market its content. A few weeks back, The New York Times announced a tie-up with Starbucks that will see articles disseminated for free to loyalty program members through the Starbucks mobile app.