6:18 am - January 14, 2026
- The Observer introduces paywall with subscription options to counter news fatigue
- New digital platform features curated content, puzzles, and audio journalism
- Move aims to rebuild trust and ensure independence through reader revenue
The Observer has introduced its first digital subscription and paywall, paired with the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper’s move to daily publishing.
The move – led by new owner Tortoise Media – marks a bet that readers will pay for focused, trustworthy coverage as news fatigue grows. It was accompanied by a redesigned website and a new smartphone app.
Subscriptions cost £16 a month or £144 a year, with a half-price offer for readers under 35. A combined digital and print package is £18 a month for Sunday delivery in London. The site allows limited free access before prompting readers to subscribe.
Editor-in-chief James Harding framed the launch as a renewal of the paper’s traditional values after years of uncertainty. “What’s different about The Observer is that it has always cared as much about culture and society as it does about politics and the state of the world. George Orwell, who wrote for the paper, called it “the enemy of nonsense”. These days, we feel it’s more needed than ever,” he said.
The new app and website promise a “curated, not automated” experience, offering a single daily edition with news, analysis and features. Coverage has expanded with new teams across business, economics, science, technology and health. Subscribers also gain access to Observer puzzles and crosswords, now supported by digital tools, along with integrated audio journalism drawing on Tortoise’s slow-news expertise.
Harding said the paper’s politics will remain “liberal, progressive and internationalist,” continuing a tradition that dates back to 1791.
The shift is a calculated bid to build a sustainable model rooted in reader revenue. By leaning on its heritage and reducing digital clutter, The Observer aims to secure its independence and invest more deeply in long-form reporting.
- https://www.theguardian.com/info/2025/apr/07/observer-faqs – This page provides information about the Observer’s transition to Tortoise Media, confirming the move to daily publishing and the introduction of a digital subscription model.
- https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/dec/06/sale-of-observer-to-tortoise-media-agreed-in-principle – This article details the agreement in principle for Tortoise Media to acquire the Observer, highlighting the £25 million investment and the commitment to maintaining the Sunday print edition while building a digital brand.
- https://www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/12/18/tortoise-signs-deal-to-buy-the-observer – This announcement confirms Tortoise Media’s acquisition of the Observer, outlining plans to invest £25 million and combine digital resources to enhance the newspaper’s offerings.
- https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/dec/08/deal-observer-tortoise-media-scott-trust-guardian-journalists-strike – This article discusses the sale of the Observer to Tortoise Media, including the £25 million investment and the commitment to preserving the newspaper’s liberal values and Sunday print edition.
- https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-office/2024/dec/06/the-scott-trust-and-the-guardian-media-group-boards-agree-sale-in-principle-of-the-observer-to-tortoise-media – This press release outlines the Scott Trust’s decision to sell the Observer to Tortoise Media, emphasizing the £25 million investment and the plan to build a digital brand while maintaining the Sunday print edition.
- https://www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/12/06/tortoise-media-agrees-purchase-of-the-observer – This announcement details Tortoise Media’s agreement to purchase the Observer, including plans to invest £25 million and combine digital resources to enhance the newspaper’s offerings.
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