Major newspapers including The New York Times and Washington Post are yet to sign up to Apple’s news subscription service, a new report claims.
With less than one week to go, Apple will be working overtime to hammer down partners for its Apple Music-of-publishing service. However, while there are some big names on board, others could be absent.
As Business Insider notes, titles including Cosmopolitan, Wired, The New Yorker, Men’s Health and others are on board. That’s not a big coup on Apple’s part, though. They were already signed up as a result of a previous contract with Texture, which Apple acquired to launch its subscription service.
The report goes on to suggest that there are mixed results for top newspapers, however:
“With the announcement less than a week away, Apple has been courting the major national newspapers but to date, The New York Times and The Washington Post have not joined, say people close to the situation. The Wall Street Journal is having productive talks with Apple and sees the service as a way to bring its journalism to a much bigger audience, say people familiar with its thinking.”
Saving publishing?
Apple is reportedly casting itself as a “savior to the publishing industry,” claims the story. But things may not be so simple. For one thing, news isn’t the same as music, which Apple currently has experience of selling. People don’t necessarily want a large scale subscription to 100 magazines. News is also plentifully available online.
Add to this the generous cut Apple hopes to take of subscription fees, and it’s no surprise that some publishers wouldn’t be keen. That’s especially true for ones which already have their own subscription services.
Apple is set to announce its Apple News payment service at next week’s March 25 event. Is this a service you would be interested in? How much would you pay per month for an all-you-can-eat newspaper and magazine service? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
