Rupert Murdoch’s UK business, News International has today announced details of the paywall it is placing around its News of the World newspaper website from October.
Following in the footsteps of the Times and Sunday Times, the weekly tabloid will charge £1 per day, or £1.99 for four weeks. The site will be located at a relaunched www.notw.co.uk.
Interestingly, the Sunday paper’s magazine Fabulous will now be located at www.fabulousmag.co.uk, with access being included in the price of the News of the World subscription. Rebekah Brooks, Chief Executive of News International said “News International is leading the industry by delivering on its commitment to develop new ways of making the business of news an economically exciting proposition.”
The Times and Sunday Times have seen a shaky start with speculation rife as to how many paid customers News International has managed to pull in. If charging for ‘quality’ news titles is tough, the company may find it even harder to charge for celebrity-driven tabloid news which is successfully offered for free online.
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The News of the World offers a steady stream of big exclusive stories which may well be a draw for paying customers. However, given that other news outlets often report on these exclusives after the fact, News International will have to work hard to make the original story compelling enough for a mainstream audience to both shelling out cash for.
The exact date for the paywall’s launch has not been announced and there’s no word as to when the News of the World’s Monday to Saturday sister title The Sun will begin charging.
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