Kronen Zeitung, commonly known as the Krone, is Austria’s most widely read newspaper, with half a million physical and ePaper copies sold daily. According to 2025 national media data, the paper reaches 20 percent of Austrians on average, while its combined print, digital, and newsletter platforms reach 26 percent.

Building on this strong market position, Krone has continued to expand its digital reader revenue strategy as audience habits evolve and digital news consumption grows. In late 2022, the publication launched its digital subscription service, Krone+, to strengthen its direct reader relationships and create new growth opportunities beyond the traditional print model.

As adoption slowly grew, data showed that many potential Krone+ subscribers gave up midway through the long, complex signup flow. “You had to create an account, complete an email double opt-in, log in, start the checkout process, and enter your credit card details,” explains Manuel Rostorfer, chief operating officer of digital subsidiary Krone Multimedia. “It was a painful process with so much friction, and we were losing lots of customers along the way.”

To simplify the experience, Rostorfer’s team turned to Google’s Reader Revenue Manager, which lets anyone with a Google account securely buy a subscription using saved payment details in as little as two clicks or taps. Readers can also see relevant Krone articles in a special “From Your Subscriptions” panel on Google Search.

With guidance and technical support from Google, the team successfully integrated Reader Revenue Manager alongside their existing subscription platform, Piano. “Google engineers helped us build APIs and solve any core issues in advance, so the actual implementation was quite smooth,” Rostorfer recalls. The new system went live on March 5, 2025, and Head of Engineering Helmut Januschka was the first subscriber. “It was really easy,” Januschka says. “I already had my card information entered. I already knew where to go if I ever wanted to cancel. And Google is a system I already trust, so that’s comforting.”

The built-in comfort level he himself experienced helps to reassure journalists and readers alike, Januschka says. “Especially for mobile users, it feels much safer to pay with your Google-managed credentials than to type your details into some random internet shop.” A hassle-free cancellation process, which spares readers frustrating phone calls, helps to further deepen that trust. Since launch, this streamlined experience has helped the publication establish a steady baseline of daily subscribers.

The Krone has focused their efforts on a range of topics, including sports. They’ve captured significant subscription spikes tied to exclusive streaming rights for Austrian mixed martial arts events. During a February broadcast, subscriptions acquired through the RRM platform jumped nearly 20 percent.

Inspired by the ease and popularity of Reader Revenue Manager, the Krone team is now applying similar “micro-optimizations” across its checkout and signup experiences. “Reader Revenue Manager changed how we think about conversion,” Rostorfer says. “When a reader is ready to subscribe, every additional step can weaken that momentum. The learning for us was to create a faster, lower-friction path from registration to checkout — a kind of fast lane that helps users act on their intent before the moment is lost.” They’re also exploring additional income streams, including in-app purchases. And they’re using Reader Revenue Manager’s built-in cancellation surveys to gather valuable feedback on their pricing, features, and more. “It’s a good indicator for us to rethink our strategy,” Rostorfer notes.