Apple News shares revenue with news publishers and — as a preinstalled app on Apple products — reaches an astounding number of users. Should publishers share their journalism on the app? Or focus on growing their own garden with first-party data and direct subscriptions?
The U.K.-based subscription research company Enders Analysis investigated the question of if publishers should share their journalism on the app or focus on growing their own business with first-party data and direct subscriptions.
Neiman Lab notes that Apple News is fairly opaque but the report estimates that the paid version (Apple News+) has more subscribers than any other individual news brand in the U.K. with 1.7 million subscribers. About half of the subscription revenue generated — roughly $136 million — is distributed to partner publications.
According to Enders Analysis brands like “The Times (of London)” and “The Daily Telegraph,” which are regarded by Apple as safe, quality newsbrands, appear more frequently in the app’s most visible “Top Stories” section and account for the lion’s share of attention. Per Enders, UK national newspapers “account for 55% of time spent on Apple News, despite representing just 5% of titles,” versus 22% and 68%, respectively, for magazines and “digital native” brands.
The report forecasts that the influence of Apple News will grow as AI usage increases.
“In a ‘Google Zero’ environment — where search and AI-driven discovery increasingly resolve user intent without referral traffic — strategic reliance on platforms like Apple News is likely to intensify, particularly as publishers push audiences towards apps and controlled environments,” according to Enders.
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
