The New York Times (NYTimes.com)
today announced plans to introduce two new offerings to its digital
subscription portfolio, as well as enhancements to its core digital
packages, on April 2, as part of the next phase of the Company’s digital
subscription strategy.
The new offerings, NYT Now and Times Premier, are new subscription
offers designed to satisfy demand for more Times content and in turn
grow subscriptions. NYT Now is a new subscription plan created for an
audience seeking more content than is currently available for free but
at a lower price than the full news report. Times Premier is designed
for the most enthusiastic and engaged Times subscribers, interested in
the richest Times experience.
NYT Now will be available on April 2 at a stand-alone cost of $8 every
four weeks. The standalone subscription includes unlimited access to the
new NYT Now App for iPhone®and iPod touch® , which
will also be offered to all existing digital and home delivery
subscribers as a free supplemental benefit. The Times Premier
subscription will offer the highest level of connection to The Times
available, with behind-the-scenes access and exclusive benefits, as well
as all the advantages of All Digital Access, for $45 every four weeks or
$10 extra every four weeks for home delivery subscribers.
In making the announcement, Mark Thompson, chief executive officer, The
New York Times Company, said: “Just under a year ago we outlined our
strategy to expand our digital product portfolio to continue to grow
digital revenues. Next week, this strategy will come to life with the
introduction of NYT Now and Times Premier, the first of the new
offerings to be introduced in 2014. Our goal with this next phase of our
paid products strategy is to satisfy the demand for Times journalism by
giving new subscribers the ability to choose the amount of access they
desire at a price point that suits them, and to enhance the value we
offer our current loyal subscribers.”
NYT Now
At the center of the NYT Now subscription offering is the new NYT Now
App for iPhone and iPod touch, The Times’s first standalone news product
beyond the core news app. The new app will offer a curated selection of
New York Times content for a fast and engaging news experience. Edited
by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Cliff Levy, the NYT Now App is
designed for readers to quickly catch up on the most important stories
from The Times around the clock, and also gives them access to a stream
of the best of the rest from the Internet.
Levy and a staff of more than 10 editors hand-select articles, videos,
infographics and slideshows from NYTimes.com to be included in NYT Now.
The NYT Now editors then tailor the article headlines and summaries for
the mobile reader. This information is displayed in a continuously
updated News stream for quick reading. Users can tap on the summaries
for full access to complete stories. NYT Now subscribers will also have
unlimited access to all NYT Now stories on NYTimes.com.
Jill Abramson, executive editor, The New York Times, said: “The launch
of NYT Now marks a significant point in Times history as it is the first
mobile product with its own dedicated editorial staff that offers a
particular selection of Times stories. NYT Now cuts through the vast
amount of content available on the web and social media to provide the
most essential stories of the moment, hand-selected by some of the most
thoughtful and discerning journalists in our newsroom.”
Notable features of NYT Now include a “Morning Briefing” and an “Evening
Briefing”, daily tip sheets that provide a look at World, National,
Business, Culture and other news. A separate “Our Picks” section
showcases a curated selection of the best stories from around the web,
chosen by NYT Now editors.
In addition, NYT Now allows readers to stay on top of important stories
and interact with Times journalism. NYT Now caters to readers’ needs
depending on time of day, presenting features based upon the native time
set on their clock on iPhone or iPod touch. When they return to NYT Now,
they are able to quickly see what has changed with developing stories,
as well as what new stories have been added since their last session.
For The Times’s best long-form journalism, users will be advised on read
time and reminded to save the article for later. All stories can be
shared via Facebook, Twitter and email.
At launch, NYT Now will be available exclusively as an iPhone app and on
the web. It will be free to download the app and read headlines and
article summaries and non-subscribers will be able to enjoy up to 10
free articles each month. Full access to NYT Now will cost $8 every four
weeks.
All new and existing digital and home delivery subscribers, including
Times Premier subscribers, will receive complimentary unlimited access
to NYT Now. Starting April 2, a free download of NYT Now will be
available on the App Store.
Paid Posts on Mobile
The launch of NYT Now also marks the official debut of Paid Posts, The
Times’s native advertising product, on mobile devices. Paid Post units
and branded content will begin appearing on NYT Now on April 2 and on
The Times’s core news app for iPhone and iPod touch and mobile web site
in the coming months. Paid Posts will become available on some of The
Times’s other smartphone and tablet apps later this year.
Advertising on NYT Now will consist exclusively of Paid Post programs
which include in-line native ad units within the NYT Now news stream
that users can click through for full access to Paid Post content.
Cartier is the official launch sponsor of NYT Now.
Times Premier
Times Premier is a premium subscription service designed for The Times
enthusiast and includes tailored content experiences created exclusively
for Premier customers.
For $45 every four weeks, Times Premier incorporates all the benefits of
All Digital Access, which includes unlimited access to The Times across
all digital platforms and apps, including NYT Now. Current home delivery
subscribers can pay an extra $10 every four weeks to receive Times
Premier.
A Times Premier subscription also provides exclusive access to Times
Insider, a new feature that provides a behind-the-scenes look at how The
Times newsroom creates the world’s most compelling and comprehensive
journalism. Times Insider will be edited by Dave Smith, who was most
recently managing editor of the International New York Times.
Subscribers to Times Premier also receive:
-
TimesTalks: Exclusive access to new and archived full-length
online videos of Times journalists interviewing leading figures in the
arts, politics and fashion.
-
TBooks: Access to two free TBooks each month. TBooks are
curated compilations of articles from The Times’s Archives, each on a
single subject. TBooks are available for digital download to iOS,
Android and Kindle devices, as well as desktops.
-
Crosswords: A four-pack of themed puzzles each month,
handpicked for Times Premier subscribers.
-
Family access: The ability to share their Times Premier account
with two additional family members.
-
Gift subscriptions: The ability give a 12-week Times All
Digital Access gift subscription to up to three friends each year.
-
NYT Store: Access to The New York Times Store Premier Boutique,
featuring exclusive discounts on NYT-branded merchandise.
Users can sign up to receive Times Premier beginning April 2.
Additional Benefits for Core Subscribers
Core subscribers, which include Web + Smartphone, Web + Tablet, All
Digital Access and home delivery subscribers, will also enjoy new
benefits to their subscription starting April 2.
In addition to receiving unlimited access to NYT Now, core subscribers
can sign up to receive “What We’re Reading,” a new, twice-weekly,
subscriber-only email that provides recommendations on stories to read
from around the web, from New York Times journalists. What We’re Reading
will also be edited by Dave Smith. Core and Times Premier subscribers
can sign up to receive What We’re Reading beginning April 2.
Core subscribers will also enjoy enhanced access to the redesigned TimesMachine,
an interactive digital version of The New York Times print archive. The
new TimesMachine allows subscribers to read complete print editions of
The New York Times as they originally appeared with every article
provided in a legible, linkable and shareable fashion. TimesMachine has
been expanded to include every print edition of The Times from Volume 1,
Number 1 of The New-York Daily Times, on September 18, 1851 through the
December 31, 1980 edition of The New York Times. Access to TimesMachine
is available to core and Times Premier subscribers.
For more information on The New York Times subscriptions, please visit NYTimes.com/Access.
The New York Times Company
The
New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) is a global media organization
dedicated to enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing
high-quality news and information. The company includes The New York
Times, International New York Times, NYTimes.com, INYT.com and related
properties. It is known globally for excellence in its journalism, and
innovation in its print and digital storytelling and its business model.
Follow news about the company at @NYTimesComm.
Copyright Business Wire 2014