In the face of revenue threats stemming from traffic losses and AI summaries, UK digital publishers are seeking to diversify their revenue streams through subscriptions and video content, according to the latest edition of the annual ‘Digital Publishing: Outlook and Priorities’ survey from the Association of Online Publishers (AOP).
In last year’s edition of the survey, subscriptions were ranked as the area with the most potential for revenue growth in the coming years. This year sees video joining subscriptions in first place, with 45 percent of respondents highlighting each option, up from just 36 percent who selected video as a prospective revenue stream in 2025.
The research mirrors the findings of last month’s trends and predictions report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which found a net balance of 79 percent of news publishers planning to produce more video content. The Reuters study also signalled that publishers were looking to have journalists act more like creators in 2026, by building more direct individual relationships with audiences on social media.
This too was reflected in the AOP survey, with 69 percent of respondents expecting journalists to have a voice on social media, shifting the focus towards “building individual brands” alongside that of the publisher’s brand. The AOP noted that this was not affecting hiring strategies, meaning publishers were not looking to hire journalists with influencer backgrounds, but that they were asking their journalists to develop a social media presence.
Over the AI hype
AI was cited as a driving force for this strategy, using social media to strengthen audience loyalty and retention, while leveraging the authority and trust of publisher brands in an era of AI-created content. And the overall sentiment towards the impact of AI on publishers’ business models and profitability were broadly negative, according to the survey, with publishers scoring the predicted impact an average 4.7 out of 10 (with 0 being a negative impact and 10 being positive). This was down from 6.0 in 2025.
“It seems likely that this change reflects a more realistic prediction as AI hype is being replaced by evidence from day-to-day operations, given that publishers have now had twelve additional months to experiment,” said the report.
Reflecting this more cautionary outlook, publishers are increasingly exploring the threat posed by LLMs trained on their content, and how they can protect their IP. In 2024, 39 percent of publishers were examining these risks, rising to 42 percent in 2025, and 45 percent in 2026.
“This is heavily being driven by consumer publishers, of whom 63 percent are investing in IP protection and legal processes regarding LLMs,” according to the report. “By contrast, fewer B2B publishers and those with business and consumer audiences are currently pursuing this path (33 percent and 31 percent).”
As the focus on AI has increased, it is interesting to note that publishers’ reported environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) activities have diminished since last year. The proportion of respondents claiming to have a clear strategy to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce fell from 53 percent in 2025 to 48 percent in 2026, while those focused on reducing the carbon footprint of their websites dropped from 45 percent to 33 percent.
The findings suggest this deprioritisation of ESG goals is down to “wider commercial challenges” facing publishing businesses, with 32 percent agreeing or strongly agreeing with this assertion. “This is a slight increase from 2025, suggesting that at least for some publishers, financial strains have curtailed the number of activities they are able to undertake in this area,” said the report.
Private marketplaces gain momentum
In this commercial environment, advertising was also signposted as a top priority for digital publishers this year, with 77 percent of respondents indicating the importance of increasing ad revenues in 2026. But the report found significant levels of variation in publishers’ reliance on ad revenues. Among consumer publishers, 89 percent agreed that without advertising income, their ability to deliver on their mission would be significantly reduced, compared with just 49 percent of B2B publishers.
The report also signalled pull-back from publishers who are 100 percent funded by advertising, with 80 percent of those respondents suggesting that they would aim to diversify revenues and reduce this reliance over the next three years.
Meanwhile publishers’ sources of advertising deals are also evolving, according to the survey. While direct deals are expected to remain the dominant source of ad revenues over the next three years, respondents forecast a shift away from open marketplaces, and towards private marketplaces. At present, six percent of publishers estimate that private marketplaces make up the bulk of their ad revenues, but 28 percent highlight private marketplaces as the main growth area over the next three years.
“The findings of our fifth annual survey show that publishers are staying firmly focused on growth, with product innovation, audience expansion and advertising all central to their strategies,” said Richard Reeves, Managing Director of the AOP. “Advertising remains the backbone of the publishing model with direct deals still dominant, even as private marketplaces gain momentum as a future growth driver. As publishers take a more measured view of AI’s impact, it is crucial they also continue to look beyond the immediate priorities and ongoing commercial pressure, to ensure longer-term initiatives, in particular ESG, don’t fall by the wayside.”
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