Subscription trends that shaped 2022

Publishers got a reality check in 2021 when it became clear that building sustainable subscription businesses meant much more than throwing up paywalls and watching the money roll in. That realization drove many publishers to reevaluate and recalibrate their subscription approaches in 2022. Some publishers recognized the models they had in place simply weren’t aligned with their editorial output or the needs and demands of their audiences. Others found that attempts to attract large subscriber bases with broad, catch-all products ended up falling short of audience expectations. Perhaps most importantly, it became increasingly apparent that the approaches publishers used to convert loyal audiences and existing "superfans" would not drive continued growth beyond those seg