10th International Symposium
on Online Journalism
Diverse business models in
online journalism – are we
trying hard enough?
The University of Texas at Austin
April 17-18, 2009
Márion Strecker, UOL Content Director

• Brazilian company
• Main shareholders: Folha (major newspaper -
41.93% total shares), Portugal Telecom (29%)
• Launched in April, 1996
• Content, services & internet access provider
• Journalism, sports, entertainment & services
• + 1,000 content channels
• + 800 employees
• + 135 people in the newsroom
• + 800 content partnerships (magazines,
newspapers, publishing houses, internet
companies, content providers, celebrities etc.)
• First: create the audience
• Second: try to monetize it
Are we trying hard enough?

UOL & Folha relationship
• Different companies; separated
newsrooms
• Folha is the main shareholder of UOL
• Folha is also a content partner of UOL
• All the Folha’s sites are under the
umbrella of UOL
• Folha “sells” headlines to UOL
homepage as any other content partner
• Some of Folha’s columnists have blogs,
TV programs or other kind of
collaboration with UOL
• Folha newspaper sells 311,287
copies per day
• Folha’s circulation is stable; last
year grew 2,87% over 2007
• Folha de S.Paulo site (online
version of the paper edition)
attracts near 700,000 home
unique visitors per month
• Folha Online (real time updated)
attracts near 3,4 million home
unique visitors per month
Sources: IVC 2008 & Ibope NetRatings March
2009

• Folha Online is free and ad supported
• Folha de S.Paulo site (the newspaper of the day and all the archives) is just for UOL and
Folha subscribers
• Same business model since 1996
UOL & Folha relationship

Are we trying hard enough?

Achievements
• # 1 portal content in audience in Brazil*
• 17.086 MM unique visitors (home market)*
• 1.960 BI page views*
• 1.312 BI minutes spent*
• + 1.83 MM paying subscribers
• Break even since 2003
• First in online advertising in Brazil
* Ibope Netrating March 2009
Are we trying hard enough?

Some doubts
• For how long the access subscription income will
remain so important for UOL
• How fast the advertising income will increase
• How fast the products & services income will
increase
• How hard and how long will be the financial crisis
impact in Brazil
Are we trying hard enough?

My convictions
About business models:
• Try, try and try!
• Measure and keep calm
• Avoid erratic movements (ex. changing subscription model to
free content model and step back again)
• Don’t make a rush for conclusions
• Think about charging someone else
• Think about charging for something else
About journalism:
• Better let journalists do journalism than business
• Better maintain a healthy distance between the newsroom and
the sales department
• Hurting credibility doesn’t seem a good way to be
contemporary!
Are we trying hard enough?

Thank you!
UOL www.uol.com.br
Márion Strecker
mstrecker@uolinc.com

Thank you!
UOL www.uol.com.br
Márion Strecker
mstrecker@uolinc.com