Apple News Plus is expected to be welcomed by Australian publishers when it heads Down Under later this year, according to NewsMediaWorks CEO Peter Miller.
Apple yesterday revealed a string of new subscription services including Apple TV Plus, which includes original ad-free content from Oprah and Steven Spielberg, and gaming service Apple Arcade.
The tech company also revealed Apple News Plus, a platform offering more than 300+ magazines and newspapers for US$9.99 a month.
The service from Apple could provide a solution to news publications struggling to find a stronger business model following years of advertising revenue decline, by offering readers subscription to various newspapers in one location.
Miller told AdNews that Apple News Plus would likely enjoy support from major publications, adding the tech giant’s late entrance to the subscription game suggests it’s had time to plan and execute the model well.
“Apple is well practiced and well placed to avoid potholes and build on earlier initiatives,” Miller says.
“I have no doubt there will be interest from our members, though I have not tested them on the subject. It looks at face value like a sweet opportunity to present news brands to millions of Apple users on commercial terms.
“On another level consumers are demonstrating a growing willingness to subscribe to professionally curated content.”
Members of NewsMediaWorks include News Corp Australia, Seven West Media, The Guardian and Nine’s The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.
News Corp, which has long pushed for news publications to turn to a subscription-based model, has already welcomed the platform, with its US title The Wall Street Journal already signed up.
Nine, the owner of the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Australian Financial Review, says it will wait to see more practical details and whether it would grow its audience and existing subscription businesses.
“Ultimately the value proposition must recognise the value and investment we make in Australian journalism,” a Nine spokesperson says.
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