In July 2025, bbc.com saw a 15% decline in US website visits, totaling 100.2 million, according to Similarweb.
The Press-Gazette reports the drop pushed the British public service broadcaster from seventh to twelfth in the platform’s top-50 US news website rankings, with a 16% year-on-year decline. The decrease coincided with the BBC’s introduction of a dynamic paywall for US users at the end of June, priced at $8.99 monthly or $49.99 annually. The paywall activates based on visit frequency and duration, aiming to offer a premium experience for loyal users, while select global breaking news stories remain freely accessible.
Among the 50 largest US news websites, the BBC’s month-on-month decline was the third steepest, behind Reuters (down 24% to 39.3 million visits) and the Associated Press (down 16% to 85.2 million). Overall, 29 of these top sites experienced month-on-month traffic drops, and 44 saw fewer visits compared to July 2024. The most significant annual declines included Forbes (down 50% to 63 million visits), Daily Mail (down 44% to 76.8 million), NBC News and HuffPost (both down 42% to 74.4 million and 38.5 million, respectively), and Washington Post and US News (both down 40% to 69.4 million and 23.5 million).
Three outlets bucked the trend with double-digit year-on-year growth: India Times surged 46% to 26.7 million visits, Substack rose 40% to 75.4 million, and aggregator Newsbreak climbed 24% to 30.4 million.
The BBC’s paywall strategy, while aiming to monetize its most engaged US audience, appears to have contributed to its traffic decline, reflecting broader challenges in the digital news landscape.