The publisher of the Daily Record and Aberdeen Live has reported a near 7% drop in group revenue at the start of 2026 as continued disruption to Google-driven traffic hit its digital business.
Reach PLC said group revenue fell 6.9% in the first quarter of the year, with digital revenue down 8.1% and print revenue declining 6.6%.
The company said trading during the three months to 31 March was impacted by “ongoing disruption in search and referral volumes” which it first highlighted last summer.
“On-platform referral volumes, mainly from Google, were materially lower and reduced across the quarter, resulting in a 8.1% decline in digital revenue,” Reach said.
Direct digital revenues fell 4.5%, while indirect revenues dropped 10.5%. In print, circulation revenues were down 5.5% and advertising revenues declined 12.8%.
Despite the pressures, Reach said it remains on track to meet market expectations for the full year and continues to push ahead with efforts to diversify revenues.
The publisher said it is growing off-platform audiences, expanding video output and rolling out premium subscriptions, which are now live across 11 websites.
Chief executive Piers North said: “We are undoubtedly in the middle of yet another big shift in the media world as the digital referral landscape continues to change, but we are navigating this uncertainty appropriately.
"We have the benefit of our scale and a portfolio of trusted brands, reaching 35m people every month and we continue to develop new revenue streams, in particular with our growing subscriptions business.”
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