Neil Hughes
The New York Times announced on Wednesday that it will expand its digital subscription offerings in the coming months, starting with a "core" package dubbed "NYT Now" targeted at light readers, and it will debut exclusively on Apple's iPhone on April 2.
NYT Now is aimed at readers who primarily get their news from smartphones, but currently do so for free. The entry-level subscription will run $8 for four weeks, while existing Times subscribers will have access to the official NYT Now app for free.
The new, limited publication will be overseen by 10 editors that will curate content for NYT Now. The entry-level offering will be just a sampling of the full coverage available in the Times.
The same day, the "Grey Lady" will also launch its new "Times Premier" subscription, which will run $45 for four weeks, or an extra $10 over the cost of home delivery. The enhanced subscription will include special content, such as access to compilations of articles from the newspaper's archive and additional crossword puzzles.
Finally, the Times is also planning to launch two more applications this summer that will target specific audiences: one focused on food, and the other on opinion pieces.
The publication is hoping to generate revenue from readers who want to access more than the 10 free articles the Times offers on its website every month, but who may not be interested in paying for a full-fledged subscription. NYT Now is portrayed as "essential" news, a standard subscription is categorized as "extensive," and the Premier plan will be labeled "exclusive."
While NYT Now will first be only available on Apple's iPhone, there was no word as to when or whether it will launch on other platforms, such as the iPad, or devices that run Google's Android platform.
The New York Times was one of the first publications to take advantage of Apple's App Store subscription option. The daily newspaper can be read through the Newsstand folder, with iPhone-only subscriptions running $15 per month, while iPad subscriptions are available for $20 per month.
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46 Comments
$8 per month for this junk? Where was NYT in the lead up to the war? Thank God for privately held publications like The Guardian. Only for the few journalism would be dead.
It is smart for the NYT to focus on the iPhone. Android owners would never pay $96.00/year for the NYT because they all use Google News and get 4,000 different newspapers for free. Pathetic.
It amazes me that newspapers and similar content providers think they can charge nearly the same or a higher price for electronic editions than print editions. Even when they add a few (meaning minimal) content additions, they expect the public to see that as justification for the premium. They don't want the public to think about how expensive paper, printing and delivery really is or what a large proportion of the total cost printing really is. And, for many, the quality of electronic publishing is a bit lower because it often does not get quality copy editing. However, in counterpoint, if the electronic editions result in decreased ad revenue, that could justify the price increase. But, perhaps, they need to look at cost and revenue profiles more closely.
I was an occassional NYT paying reader until the Judy Miller Iraq war FUD. I rarely, if ever, read any if the 10 free articles. And $45 per month for a standard subscription? $8 for curated content? That's a riot. I subscribe to a few paper magazines for art, travel, design, world events, and food articles. The rest I get for free (with ads) online.
For just $8 per month you can be denied access to the stories you want to read!