New York Times articles stopped appearing in the Apple News app on Monday. The newspaper ended its partnership with Apple because the Times wants a more direct connection between itself and its customers.
This is not just about the Apple News+ subscription service. Content from this source no longer appears in the free version either.
Apple News too indirect for The New York Times
The NYT reported on its move, stating the decision came because “Apple had given it little in the way of direct relationships with readers and little control over the business.”
Apple News presented content from the The New York Times in an app that the iPhone maker created. That’s not the relationship the company wants with its readers. Meredith Kopit Levien, chief operating officer, told employees in a memo that its goal is “a direct path for sending those readers back into our environments, where we control the presentation of our report, the relationships with our readers, and the nature of our business rules.”
Not a good business model for NYT
Apple News didn’t try to become a competitor to the Times or other news sources, as Google been accused of. But its free version wasn’t bringing anyone much money. “Advertising in the app has generated little revenue for news organizations,” the NYT reported in its article about leaving the service.
But the iPhone maker isn’t giving up. A company spokesperson told the Times that “We are also committed to supporting quality journalism through the proven business models of advertising, subscriptions, and commerce.”
The free version of Apple News is doing well. It has 125 million daily users. But the for-pay service struggles. After launching in 2019, it failed to attract as many customers as Cupertino hoped. And now it’s no longer possible to subscribe to The New York Times through Apple News+.
