The Hill, the most-visited digital-first political news publication, is launching a new digital subscription product called the Hill Insider, capitalizing on a surge of reader interest in the second Trump administration. The Washington-based outlet, which also prints a physical edition three times a week for members of Congress, has been quietly growing since its acquisition by Nexstar in 2021 for $130 million.
Hill Insider Subscription Tiers
On Wednesday, the Hill announced plans for the Hill Insider, a subscription service offering newsletters, live interactive video calls, and other premium features. The basic membership costs $5.99 per month or $59.99 annually, while the premium tier is $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The main website will remain free.
Bill Sammon, senior vice-president for editorial content and a Fox News veteran, said the Hill is profitable and benefiting from heightened political news interest. “I think we’re kind of having a moment right now,” Sammon said. “The viewership is engaged, and a lot of it has to do with, frankly, that there’s just so much going on in the news.”
Differentiation in a Crowded Market
Despite many direct-to-consumer subscription services, Sammon believes the Hill Insider will stand out. “It’s additive. For the very most part, we’ve developed all kinds of new value-added content that we think is going to serve our readers as we understand what our readers want,” he said. The Hill began in 1994 and has built a loyal audience.
Sammon became available after Rupert Murdoch suggested his departure from Fox News following the network’s 2020 election coverage. In a November 2020 email, Murdoch told executives to “let Bill go right away” to send a “big message with Trump people”. Sammon reflected, “I have many fond memories – and retain lots of great friendships – from my time at Fox.”
Dual Role at Nexstar
Now, Sammon serves in a dual editorial role for NewsNation, Nexstar’s cable news channel, leveraging his print and TV experience. “I don’t have a lot of skillsets in this world and they found the two weird skillsets that I have, and there’s a job for that,” he said. “You need to know about newspapers and you need to know about cable TV. Well, that’s actually something I can do.”
