The Nielsen Digital Ratings Monthly (DRM) data released on Thursday shows Fairfax publications reached an audience of about 11 million people, or 55 per cent of Australians online, through its sites and apps in   February. DRM measures the total digital audiences across desktop, smartphone and tablet for web browsers and apps. 
Fairfax's digital network reaches 5.6 million Australians on smartphone and 2.4 million on tablet sites and apps. Its most popular smartphone brands include The Sydney Morning Herald, Domain, The Age and Weatherzone.
Fairfax's digital news network, which includes the SMH, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times and The Canberra Times &shy;reached 7.6 million Australians, according to DRM data or 57 per cent the digital news audience in   February.
The SMH was the second-most popular current events and news property on smartphone, tablet and desktop in   February. The SMH is Fairfax's most popular digital news property, attracting more than 4.7 million people to digital platforms nationally in   February.
The Age attracted almost 2.7 million people nationally in   February and nearly 1.5 million in Victoria, a bigger audience than its main publishing rival.
"DRM is the new industry&shy;-supported currency of digital audience measurement. It better reflects the fast progress Fairfax has made in growing digital audiences, particularly via mobile," said Tom Armstrong, Fairfax Media commercial and marketing services director and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Australia board member.
"The new methodology confirms the Fairfax Media network as Australia's most popular digital publisher of quality content and journalism," Armstrong said.
"It underlines the strength of our network in reaching and engaging with large&shy;scale audiences and creating powerful connections between those audiences and advertisers."
The revised DRM data also showed Fairfax Media's business network reaches three million Australians, or 42 per cent of the nation's digital business and financial news audience.
The data from Nielsen shows that The Australian Financial Review and Business Insider together reach almost triple the unique audience of the comparable combined business offering of its main competitor. The wider business network that reaches 3 million Australians includes the Financial Review, Business Insider Australia and Business Day.