A former pro fantasy sports player grew an AI newsletter to 500K subscribers and said it made about $25K MRR from paid members (2024)
Martin Crowley built AI Tool Report with paid Meta ads and sold a Pro tier on top of ad sales, in a 2024 interview.
Subject: AI Tool Report (Martin Crowley)Daily AI newsletter on beehiiv, monetized with ad sales and a paid Pro tier
Case Overview & Background
Martin Crowley, who spent a decade as a professional daily fantasy sports player, launched AI Tool Report in 2023. Creator Spotlight reported in February 2024 that after barely 10 months it had over 500,000 subscribers and some $100,000 in monthly revenue. Crowley said about 2,000 premium subscribers put the paid tier at around $25,000 in monthly recurring revenue, with ads making up most of the rest.
How AI Is Used
Step-by-Step Process
He tried many headlines, and Learn AI in 5 minutes a day became the one he built around.
He ran many Meta ads at once and at one point added over 100,000 subscribers in a month.
Ad sales became the largest share of revenue.
About 2,000 premium subscribers gave a steadier recurring income than ads.
Customer Acquisition & Distribution
Limitations, Risks & Failure Modes
What may not apply to you, and what could go wrong:
- The figures are self-reported and were not independently checked
- The source is from February 2024 and the numbers may have changed
- He said he was still losing money overall because of growth spending
- Paid subscriber growth needs ad budget that many beginners do not have
Key Takeaways
- A clear, simple promise helps a newsletter stand out
- Paid ads can grow a list fast but need careful testing
- A paid tier adds recurring income that is steadier than ad sales
Sources
Creator Spotlight: 0-500k subscribers in 10 months
Note: Interview from 2024 (an older source). States the 2,000 premium subscribers and about $25K MRR, the editor's figure of some $100K monthly revenue, the paid ads strategy and that he was still losing money overall.
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