Some media buyers are saying News International’s the Times will launch its online paywall as early as May or June. The Times has told media buyers it cannot give guarantees to advertisers about website audiences in May, which suggests that is when the paywall will be activated, writes the Media Guardian. (via MediaBuyerPlanner).
“I think they [are] going to introduce it - from what I have been told it’s likely to be around May or June,” Rob Lynam, head of press trading at Mediaedge:cia, is quoted as saying.
The newspaper has said it will charge a fee for 24-hour access to the paper’s website; readers will also be able to purchase subscriptions. Micropayment options for purchasing individual articles will not be offered.
News Corp, parent of News International, has said all its publications will be behind paywalls by the end of this year. The Times is expected to be its test case. Preferred readers - that is, those who subscribe to a variety of News International papers - may receive online access for free.
The Financial Times, one of the few newspapers that has consistently charged for content since the early days of the internet, reported a 43% year-over-year rise in subscription revenue for FT.com, according to another Guardian article.
