What Crikey does

Crikey is an independent Australian subscription-based digital news publication founded in 2000 by Stephen Mayne and operated under Private Media Pty Ltd. The publication is headquartered in Melbourne and serves Australian readers seeking independent, advertiser-free journalism on politics, media, economics, justice, environment, business, and world affairs. The core product portfolio includes multiple newsletter properties (Crikey Daily, the 7am Worm, Weekender, Reserved, The Snoop), the Crikey Calling podcast, Crikey Talks subscriber events, and a subscription-gated website. The technology stack is a WordPress-based digital publishing platform with newsletter delivery and email marketing infrastructure — conventional, low-differentiation tooling without APIs, mobile apps, or proprietary AI features.

Revenue is overwhelmingly subscription-driven under a reader-funded model, with annual pricing at $199/year, quarterly at $55, and monthly at $19.90 (with a mid-year promotional rate of $4/month for the first four months). Discounted tiers exist for Australian concession card holders and groups of five or more. Advertising accounts for only approximately 0.9% of total funding, deliberately preserving editorial independence. Supplementary revenue streams include tech company content licensing deals (introduced late 2020), COVID-19-related government support, and grants from the Judith Neilson Institute.

Cost economics are explicitly disclosed: 53% of total costs are invested in editorial operations (journalists, editors, contributors, and supporting subscriptions, travel, and legal retainers), 15% in IT and overheads, 12% in management/operations, and 32% in marketing, support, and leadership. The organization runs lean with 11-50 employees, and shares finance, HR, marketing, and development resources with sister publications SmartCompany, The Mandarin, Inc. Australia, and Capital Brief under the Private Media holding. Leadership comprises Chairman Eric Beecher, CEO Marina Go, COO Jason Kibsgaard, Sales Director Linsey Bamping, and Head of Marketing and Research Kylie McCaig, with Alisha Rouse serving as Editor and a dedicated bench of politics, economics, media, and legal correspondents.

Name

Crikey

Legal name

Private Media Pty Ltd

Website

https://crikey.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crikey is an independent Australian subscription-based digital news publication founded in 2000, operating under Private Media Pty Ltd. It delivers newsletters, podcasts, and events covering politics, media, economics, and current affairs to Australian subscribers on a reader-funded model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Online News Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

akta.pro primary industry

Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Independent news publication
• Investigative journalism
• Newsletter subscription
• Australian politics coverage
• Digital media content

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription/Reader Revenue: The primary revenue source. Crikey operates on a reader-funded model where subscribers pay for unlimited digital access. This accounts for the bulk of revenue and ensures editorial independence from advertisers.
2. Advertising: Minimal advertising revenue (approximately 0.9% of total funding). The low proportion means advertisers cannot influence editorial decisions.
3. Licensing Deals: Tech company licensing deals for content (introduced in late 2020) provided temporary injection of funding, though these arrangements were over fixed time periods with limited certainty.
4. Government Grants and Philanthropy: Received COVID-19 related government funding and Judith Neilson Institute grants. Small portion of overall funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Crikey is an Australian independent subscription-based online news publication delivering daily and weekly newsletters, podcasts, and subscriber events covering politics, media, business, and current affairs. It produces original investigative journalism, market-moving scoops, and curated news digests (e.g., the Worm, Reserved, Weekender) directly to paying readers via email and its website.

Product overview

Crikey is an independent Australian subscription-based news publication offering a portfolio of newsletter products including Crikey Daily (weekday analysis), Crikey Worm (morning summary), Weekender (Saturday edition), and Reserved (investigations). The publication also produces the Crikey Calling podcast and hosts Crikey Talks events. All content is accessible through tiered subscription plans: monthly (currently $4/month for first 4 months promotional pricing), quarterly, and annual options, plus discounted student/concession and group subscriptions. The company operates on a reader-funded model with minimal advertising revenue, providing journalism across politics, media, economics, justice, environment, business, and world affairs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crikey Worm: Daily morning newsletter delivering headlines and news summary at 7am every weekday.
• Crikey Daily
• Weekender
• The Snoop
• Crikey Insider

Products and services

• Crikey Daily Newsletter Daily email newsletter delivering original reporting, analysis, and commentary on Australian politics, media, and current affairs to paying subscribers.
• Crikey Worm Morning news summary newsletter aggregating the day's key Australian political and media stories for subscribers.
• Weekender Saturday newsletter offering deeper reads, longer-form journalism, and curated recommendations for paying members.
• Reserved Subscriber-only investigative-journalism newsletter delivering original, deeper-dive reporting on topics of public interest.
• Crikey Calling Subscriber podcast covering Australian politics, media, and current affairs with original reporting and analysis.
• Crikey Talks Subscriber-only live events program hosting conversations with newsmakers, politicians, and policy experts.
• Crikey Subscription Paid membership plan (monthly/annual) granting access to Crikey's full suite of newsletters, podcasts, events, and subscriber journalism for individual readers.
• Student and Concession Subscription Discounted subscription plan for students and holders of government concession cards, providing the same Crikey membership benefits at a reduced annual rate.
• Group Subscription Multi-seat subscription product allowing groups and organizations to provide Crikey membership access to multiple users under a single plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53% of funding invested directly into editorial operations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Private MediacoreOthersParent company that owns Crikey. Provides shared services including finance, HR, marketing team, and development team. Shares growth marketing resources with sister publications SmartCompany, The Mandarin, and Inc. Australia. Founded and controlled by Eric Beecher.
• SmartCompanyminorOthersSister publication under Private Media focused on small business news. Shares marketing and growth team resources with Crikey.
• The MandarinminorOthersSister publication under Private Media covering public sector news. Shares marketing and growth team resources with Crikey.
• Inc. AustraliaminorOthersSister publication under Private Media launched more recently covering startup and business news. Shares marketing and growth team resources with Crikey.
• Capital BriefminorOthersRelated publication under Private Media providing business news coverage. CEO Chris Janz interviewed by Crikey about the publication's performance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Capital Brief: Sister publication under Private Media providing Australian business and markets news. Comparable to Crikey as a sibling subscription product sharing Private Media's marketing and operational infrastructure.
• The Conversation Australia: Australian independent news-analysis outlet featuring academic and journalist contributors. Comparable to Crikey as an editorially independent Australian news brand offering in-depth political and policy analysis.
• The Monthly: Australian independent print and digital magazine covering politics, culture, and society. Comparable to Crikey as a paid, independent Australian publication with a long-form journalism focus.
• SmartCompany: Sister publication under Private Media focused on small business news. Comparable to Crikey as a sibling subscription product sharing marketing, growth, and back-office resources within the same holding company.
• The Mandarin: Sister publication under Private Media covering Australian public-sector news and policy. Comparable to Crikey as a sibling subscription brand sharing Private Media's growth and editorial resources.
• The Saturday Paper: Australian weekly independent newspaper covering politics, media, and culture with a subscriber-supported model. Comparable to Crikey as a paid, independent Australian news product focused on accountability journalism.
• The Guardian Australia: Independent digital news outlet serving Australian readers with political, media, and investigative coverage. Most directly comparable to Crikey on mission (independent journalism), digital-first distribution, and reader-supported funding model.

Broad incumbents

• The Age: Major Australian metropolitan newspaper (Nine Entertainment) covering national politics, business, and current affairs. Comparable to Crikey as a mainstream Australian news outlet with political accountability journalism, though at significantly larger scale.
• ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): Australia's national public broadcaster, a much larger incumbent covering politics, media, and current affairs. Comparable to Crikey as a destination for Australian political and accountability journalism, though funded publicly and free to readers.
• The Sydney Morning Herald: Major Australian metropolitan newspaper (Nine Entertainment) with national politics, business, and investigative coverage. Comparable to Crikey as a destination for Australian political journalism, though broader in scope and primarily ad-supported.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crikey_news
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1503822
• Facebookfacebook.com/crikey.com.au

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crikey