News Corp's first-quarter results came in stronger than expected, with its pre-tax earnings almost doubling.
The company's pre-tax earnings were $US249 million ($324.8 million) in the three months ending September 30.
This is a 92 per cent improvement over last year's figure of $US130 million ($169.6 million).
As for revenue, that grew by 5 per cent to $US2.06 billion ($2.69 billion).
News Corp is the publishing arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, with brands including Dow Jones, HarperCollins and The New York Post.
Through Dow Jones, News Corp owns The Wall Street Journal, Barron's and MarketWatch.
Although all its businesses experienced growth, News Corp's digital real estate services revenue, which includes the ASX-listed REA Group, were particularly strong — rising 20 per cent to $US271 million ($353.5 million).
"These results truly underscore the increasing strength of digital real estate and how it has positively transformed the character of News Corp and positioned us for further growth in the future," the company's chief executive Robert Thomson said.
"We can also see the tangible benefits of our sustained commitment to cost reduction, while we continue to invest in the highest quality content."
The Murdoch-controlled company said its operational improvement was due to lower costs from its news publishing business, which includes Fox Sports.
News Corp's shares on the Nasdaq initially lifted by more than 2 per cent in after-hours trade, before falling flat.
