News.com.au tops Australian news sites — but ABC News is closing the gap. The site reached 12.68 million readers in August 2025, only to drop to 11.76 million by January 2026 as its main competitor gained ground.

Owner: News Corp Australia · Readers (Aug 2025): 12.68 million · Page Views (Aug 2025): 322 million · App Relaunch: July 2025

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Owned by News Corp Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corp (Wikipedia)
  • 12.68 million readers in August 2025 per Ipsos iris (Mediaweek)
  • Covers sports, entertainment, finance, politics, and national breaking news (Wikipedia)
  • App relaunched May 2025, lifting app audiences by more than 52% (Mediaweek)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact current monthly readership beyond January 2026 figures
  • Whether recent site design or algorithm changes have affected reader numbers
  • No post-January 2026 readership data confirmed in available sources
3Timeline signal
  • April 2019: 9.6 million readers — first widely cited figure (Wikipedia)
  • May 2025: Major app relaunch with vertical video and new ad formats (Wikipedia)
  • May 2025: Peak of 12.68 million readers (Mediaweek)
  • January 2026: Dropped to 11.76 million as ABC News gained ground (Tomorrow’s Publisher)
4What’s next

Key facts about news.com.au

The table below consolidates verified ownership, readership, and platform details from primary and secondary sources.

Attribute Value Source
Owner News Corp Australia Wikipedia
Description Australia’s leading news site news.com.au
Readers (April 2019) 9.6 million Wikipedia
Readers (August 2025) 12.68 million Mediaweek
Page Views (August 2025) 322 million Mediaweek
Readers (January 2026) 11.76 million Tomorrow’s Publisher
Key Coverage Sports, entertainment, finance, politics, national breaking news Wikipedia
App Available on Google Play Google Play Store
Social Presence Facebook, X (Twitter) Facebook
App Relaunch May 2025 Mediaweek

What is the latest verified information about news.com.au?

Current status

News.com.au remains one of Australia’s most-read news websites, but the competitive landscape has shifted notably. According to Ipsos iris data reported by Mediaweek, the site reached 12.68 million readers in August 2025 — its most recent publicly reported peak. However, by May 2025, ABC News had overtaken news.com.au, posting 12.48 million readers compared to news.com.au’s 11.76 million, a 3.4% decline for news.com.au over that period.

The trade-off

News.com.au’s reach has grown dramatically since 2019, yet sustaining that lead against a resurgent ABC News requires constant investment in content and platform experience.

Recent updates

The news.com.au app underwent a significant relaunch in May 2025, introducing a vertical video feed, an exclusive daily quiz called “In The Know,” and new advertising formats including full-screen takeovers. Mediaweek reported that this relaunch lifted app audiences by more than 52% — a substantial bump that contributed to the site’s strong August 2025 performance.

Beyond the app, News Corp Australia as a whole set a record digital audience of 18.54 million in August 2025, reaching four in five online Australians per Ipsos iris data. News.com.au generated 63 million video views that month, accounting for 65% of all video consumption in the News category — a testament to the platform’s video-first strategy.

Source context

Ipsos iris is Australia’s primary media measurement service for digital audiences, providing standardized readership figures across major publishers.

What should readers know first about news.com.au?

Core description

News.com.au is owned by News Corp Australia, which itself is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corp. Wikipedia confirms this ownership structure, and the site has operated for years as the flagship digital property of Australia’s largest newspaper publisher. The platform positions itself as Australia’s leading news site, covering national and international news alongside lifestyle, travel, entertainment, technology, finance, and sport.

The organization covers the gamut from politics and finance to pop culture and footy — whichever story is driving the day’s conversation, news.com.au wants to own it.

Primary coverage areas

The breadth of coverage is central to news.com.au’s strategy. Rather than focusing narrowly on one vertical, the site maintains teams and sections across politics, finance, sport, entertainment, technology, lifestyle, and breaking news. This wide approach reflects News Corp Australia’s broader portfolio strategy, which also includes The Australian (with over 318,000 paid subscribers as of June 2023 per Statista) and the Daily Telegraph.

For readers, this means news.com.au functions as a general news aggregator as much as a destination for any specific beat. The trade-off is depth versus breadth — readers seeking specialist coverage may need to look elsewhere, while those wanting a daily overview have everything in one place.

Which official sources confirm key claims about news.com.au?

Primary site

The most direct source for understanding news.com.au is the site itself at www.news.com.au. The homepage confirms the “Australia’s leading news site” positioning and provides live feeds of breaking news, sport, entertainment, and finance coverage.

Wikipedia entry

Wikipedia’s entry for news.com.au serves as a reliable secondary source for ownership details and historical readership figures. The entry confirms News Corp Australia ownership and cites the 9.6 million reader figure from April 2019, giving a useful baseline for understanding growth trajectory.

Social profiles

News.com.au maintains official profiles on Facebook and X (Twitter), where it shares breaking news alerts and story links. The Facebook page (@news.com.au) and X account (@newscomauHQ) are active channels for engagement and real-time updates. The X profile is available at twitter.com/newscomauHQ.

Why this matters

Multiple corroborating sources — Mediaweek’s industry reporting, Wikipedia’s fact-checking, and the site itself — all align on core facts about ownership, readership, and coverage breadth.

What is still unclear or unverified about news.com.au?

Current readership

While May 2025 figures show news.com.au at 11.76 million readers, no more recent readership data has been publicly reported as of the available sources. The gap between that January figure and whatever the current number is remains unknown. ABC News added nearly 1.4 million online readers over the twelve months leading to February 2026, indicating the competitive environment remains fluid.

Recent changes

The exact nature and impact of any backend changes to the news.com.au website — beyond the publicly documented app relaunch — are not confirmed in available sources. Whether the site has undergone design refreshes, algorithm tweaks, or content strategy pivots since the app relaunch is unclear. Similarly, detailed app download counts or user retention metrics are not publicly disclosed.

What to watch

The next Ipsos iris report will reveal whether News Corp Australia can reverse its audience decline or whether ABC News has secured a durable lead in the Australian digital news market.

What are the most common user questions on news.com.au?

App and access

Readers frequently ask about how to access news.com.au on mobile. The site offers apps on both Google Play and the Apple App Store, with the Android app listing confirming coverage of breaking news, trending stories, must-see videos, politics, pop culture, tech gadgets, finance, and footy. The revamped app prioritizes speed, personalization, and mobile-first engagement, according to Mediaweek’s reporting on the July 2025 launch.

Social engagement

Another common question involves following news.com.au across social platforms. Beyond the main site, news.com.au maintains presence on Facebook, X (Twitter), and YouTube. The Facebook page shares breaking news and lifestyle content, while the X account (@newscomauHQ) provides real-time headline alerts. YouTube hosts video content including news clips and feature stories.

The upshot

For Australian readers, news.com.au offers multiple access points — desktop, mobile web, dedicated apps, and social feeds — making it one of the most accessible local news destinations regardless of platform preference.

Timeline: news.com.au’s audience trajectory

Six milestones illustrate how news.com.au’s readership has evolved over seven years.

Period Readers Significance Source
April 2019 9.6 million First widely cited reader figure Wikipedia
June 2023 Not separately reported The Australian reaches 318,000 paid subscribers — News Corp flagship benchmark Statista
May 2025 11.8 million Pre-relaunch readership per Ipsos iris Mediaweek
July–August 2025 Not separately reported (July); 12.68 million (August) Major app relaunch — vertical video, “In The Know” quiz, new ad formats; Peak readership — 322 million page views, 63 million video views Mediaweek
January 2026 11.76 million Declined 3.4% as ABC News overtook in readership Tomorrow’s Publisher

The implication is stark: News Corp Australia celebrated a record in August 2025, but the competitive narrative has since shifted as ABC News built momentum through sustained audience growth.

What news.com.au does well and where it faces challenges

Strengths

  • Massive reach — 12+ million readers at peak
  • Broad coverage across politics, sport, entertainment, finance
  • Strong video engagement (65% of News category consumption)
  • Multiple access points: desktop, mobile, apps, social
  • App relaunch delivered measurable audience growth
  • Backed by News Corp Australia resources and reach

Challenges

  • Readership declined 3.4% between August 2025 and August 2025
  • ABC News has closed and overtaken the lead
  • General news approach may lack depth for specialized readers
  • No publicly disclosed post-May 2025 readership data
  • Competition from public broadcaster gaining momentum

What executives and analysts say about news.com.au

It’s incredibly rewarding to see the business achieve a record audience of 18.54 million this month.

— Pippa Leary, Managing Director and Publisher of free news and lifestyle, News Corp Australia (Mediaweek)

ABC News added nearly 1.4 million online readers over the past twelve months to May 2025, [while] news.com.au had 12.4 million readers a year prior [to February 2026], ahead of ABC by 1.4 million.

— Tomorrow’s Publisher analysis of Ipsos iris data (Tomorrow’s Publisher)

Both observations are factually consistent — the record was real, and the subsequent challenge is equally real. What changed was the competitive dynamic, with ABC News converting its public broadcasting advantages into measurable digital audience growth.

Bottom line: News Corp Australia faces a pivotal moment as ABC News erodes its digital news dominance. If ABC sustains its growth trajectory, News Corp risks losing both audience share and advertising revenue to a well-funded public competitor — and news.com.au’s next strategic response will shape the broader Australian online news market.

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news.com.au drew 74 million visits in November 2024 according to verified traffic breakdown, solidifying its decade-long top-two position in Australian digital news.

Frequently asked questions

What content does news.com.au cover?

News.com.au covers national and international news, sport, entertainment, finance, politics, technology, lifestyle, and travel. The site positions itself as a general news destination rather than a niche publication.

Who owns news.com.au?

News.com.au is owned by News Corp Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corp. The site is the flagship digital property of Australia’s largest newspaper publisher.

Does news.com.au have a mobile app?

Yes. The news.com.au app is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. A major relaunch in July 2025 introduced a vertical video feed, an exclusive daily quiz, and new advertising formats. The app relaunch reportedly lifted app audiences by more than 52%.

How can I follow news.com.au on social media?

News.com.au maintains official profiles on Facebook, X (Twitter), and YouTube. The Facebook page and X account (@newscomauHQ) provide real-time alerts for breaking news.

Is news.com.au reliable for breaking news?

News.com.au maintains a dedicated breaking news desk and has historically been among the first Australian outlets to report major national stories. As with any news source, readers should cross-reference significant claims with additional sources.

What is the reach of news.com.au?

News.com.au reached 12.68 million readers in August 2025 per Ipsos iris, making it one of Australia’s most-read digital news destinations. By January 2026, readership had declined to 11.76 million amid ABC News gaining ground.

Where is news.com.au based?

News.com.au is based in Australia, operated by News Corp Australia from its headquarters. The site covers Australian national news as a primary focus alongside international coverage.

How does news.com.au compare to ABC News?

ABC News overtook news.com.au in monthly readers by May 2025 (13 million vs 12.68 million). By August 2025, ABC News had 12.48 million readers while news.com.au had 11.76 million. The two outlets are the dominant players in Australian digital news.