Get Ready For Newspaper Subscription Shenanigans for the iPad

[Michael Essany]

Apple is reportedly on the verge of unveiling a brand new newspaper subscription model optimized for the iPad. Since a swelling number of avid newspaper readers now digest their daily news content electronically - and mostly for free - on their mobile devices, Apple apparently sees an opportunity to implement yet another money-making scheme to capitalize on this growing trend.

If reports prove accurate, Apple will basically introduce a "revenue sharing model" remarkably analogous to that which has already been used for apps sold in the Apple App Store. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Apple may implement an "opt-in function" that lets subscribers "share their personal information" with publications. This data, of course, is vital to the remaining print publications, as they depend on that highly relevant information to do business with a variety of advertisers.

While a handful of national papers already offer app subscriptions to iPad users, major metropolitan papers across the country are getting ready to roll out their own publication apps and have been in discussions with Apple. Industry leaders hope tablet devices and subscription-based digital editions can help newspapers stem, if not reverse, losses incurred after they began offering up content online for free years ago.

If the San Jose Mercury News report is accurate, then the publishers rumored to be involved are likely not thrilled with
Apple, as the publishers wanted to "pay Apple a fee" rather than a cut of subscription and advertising revenue. Apple's terms to do the deal, however, call for a revenue sharing model. And since Apple has what all the publications need, it looks like Apple may very well get what it wants.

Then again, what else is new?

San Jose Mercury News

[sharpjunkie76]

Lame

[1shuttle1]

This is why the app store needs to be opened up. Apple is going to nickel and dime people to death.

[macsoldier]

This is why the app store needs to be opened up. Apple is going to nickel and dime people to death.

Well said...

[zoso10]

Apple's terms to do the deal, however, call for a revenue sharing model. And since Apple has what all the publications need, it looks like Apple may very well get what it wants.

This seems to happen a lot...

[tremerone]

Captain OHagan: I swear to God Im going to pistol whip the next guy
who says, " Shenanigans."
Mac: Hey Farva whats the name of that restaurant you like with all
the goofy **** on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?
Farva: You mean Shenanigans?
Mac: OOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Thorny: OOOOOOOOOOOOOO. [as they hand the Captain their pistols]

[sziklassy]

I did always wonder how we were able to get away from printed papers, which cost money, to digital papers, which were free. The printed papers were always chock full of far more ads than I would see on average in a digital version, yet the digital versions are the ones that we don't end up paying out of pocket for. I am still a strong believer that we should still be paying for the paper, even if it is digitally, although that money should not be going to Apple IMO.

[Snozberries]

Captain OHagan: I swear to God Im going to pistol whip the next guy
who says, " Shenanigans."
Mac: Hey Farva whats the name of that restaurant you like with all
the goofy **** on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?
Farva: You mean Shenanigans?
Mac: OOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Thorny: OOOOOOOOOOOOOO. [as they hand the Captain their pistols]

ROFL!! "you boys like mex-ee-cooo!!"

[zozodouce]

who's going to pay for that lol?

[Bluprint]

Pretty soon apple is going to charge you for looking at the weather.

[quidam_brujah]

Apple getting into newspapers? I would like to say 'yea!', but it's more of a *yawn* since NewspaperDirect has had their PressDisplay.com site up for a number of years and their PressReader app available for iPhone a year or so, and for the iPad shortly after launch.

The iPad itself is going to one of the first in a line of platforms that will [hopefully] see a renaissance in the newspaper industry as they transition from paper to e-media. I'm definitely interested in FACTS. I can get all the opinion I want by turning on the TV and watching any so-called 'news' programs. It seems that the only way to get something that borders on news is by taking the time to read it. </rant>

By getting one app and a pressdisplay.com account, for $30/month I get "virtually unlimited monthly access to over 1,700 newspapers from 92 countries in 48 languages!" What I like about the content is that the papers are exactly the same as the printed ones -- ads, classifieds, obits and all. I have one account and both my wife and I use it to read all the papers we want on two iphones and two ipads. We don't read every paper every day, but we have the convenience of the ones we want, when we want, managing one account and getting the same content on all 4 devices.

I don't see how Apple is going to beat that deal. I think Apple's biggest play is their name recognition. I'm sure that when their deal comes out, if you did a side-by-side comparison to pressdisplay.com (including the fact that you can read the same content on your computer in addition to your iphone/ipod/ipad/blackberry/android devices), pressdisplay would win hands-down. But Apple has the name.

I can highly recommend pressdisplay.