New York Times is bringing cheaper plans with native ads and premium service with access to all news content through two new apps, NYT Now and Times Premier starting April 2.
New York Times is expanding its paid digital offerings to bring news content to different users around the world with suitable options. The publication announced two new apps, the "NYT Now" and "Times Premier" that cover both ends of the price range and will launch April 2. The NYT Now comes with a subscription price of $8 a month, lesser than the standard New York Times subscription, and the pricey Times Premier subscription will cost $45 for a month, according to The Times.
With the latest additions, New York Times is strengthening its reach in the mobile space that has grown enormously. People use their mobile phones for almost everything and it is a sensible option to bring daily news content to readers in the most convenient way.
"Our goal with this next phase of our paid product 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," Reuters quoted Mark Thompson, chief executive of the New York Times, as saying in a statement.
The NYT Now app allows users to access editor-selected content from its newsroom and other third party sources. The new app charges $8 for four weeks to access the multi-media content. The NYT Now app will be available as an iOS app for iPhone and iPod touch, as well as on the Web. The app includes native ads, which is the newspaper's first advertising-supported product.
The Times Premier app, which is the NYT's premier version of the app, offers complete access to the newspaper's content along with additional features. The premier plan, which costs $45 for every four weeks, gives customers a behind-the-scenes look at how the newsroom operates, videos of Times journalists' interviews with newsmakers, archived articles, crosswords and a 12-week gift subscription that can be forwarded to up to three friends each year.
The two new paid options for readers is an additional option for those who want more than 10 free articles each month, which Times currently offers on its website. The New York Times did not reveal whether the apps will make it to Google's Android platform. Considering half of the Times' online traffic comes from mobile devices, further development in the mobile category is strongly expected.
