News Corp has reported "positive" results from a month-long pitch to the more-than-one-third of its readers who use ad blocking software.

Sydney metro tabloid the Daily Telegraph pitched a variety of messages to blocker users, finding that more of them were Android mobiles than Apple. Some 35 per cent across mobile and desktop platforms used ad-blockers, with Android mobile users more likely to block ads than those running Apple's iOS.

Pop-ups - which explained the need for advertising to fund journalism and content -asked for the site to be white-listed, but would allow users to still visit the site if they took a subscription.

News Corp Australia head of product management for digital consumer products Hugh Macdermott says the aim was to see what kind of messaging worked. Results of the "relatively small study" were still being studied, but would help frame future responses, with a broader trial planned.

Chief marketing officer Tony Phillips says early results were positive: "Offence is our best defence, and our offence is outstanding journalism, fantastic content and people actually understanding the value of it and choosing to consume it," he says. "We continue to have a positive story when it comes to digital subscriptions sales. We've got terrific retention rates."

Ad blocking was not an issue that was having a dramatic impact on the business, and the value-exchange of free or discounted content for ads was "alive and well".