Despite the likeness of their names and new subscription models, paidContent warns industry watchers not to confuse the strategies of
The New York Times and Britain's
The Times of
London. "Though each is historically the 'paper of record' in their respective countries, each online strategy is quite different," paidContent writes.
"Whilst NYTimes.com
introduced a meter by which more than 20 on-site articles per month and full mobile access costs between $15 and $35 per month, News Corp.'s UK title last summer opted for a blunter instrument -- no
free content." As a result, Britain's Times has deliberately shed the vast majority of its visitors -- "many of whom," as paidContent notes, "had always been fleeting."
In comparison
to News Corp.'s model, paidContent calls NYTimes.com' approach "the have-your-cake-and-eat-it strategy." Yet, NYTimes.com weekday visitors are still down by 5%-to-15% since it introduced its metered
paywall.
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