NYT plans new digital subscriptions

NEW YORK: The New York Times Co (NYT) plans to introduce two or three new standalone digital subscriptions next year focused on lifestyle topics as part of its push to get more people to pay for its content beyond traditional news, said a senior executive.

The 166-year-old newspaper’s revenue has been cut in half over the last decade as print advertising moves online, and it is trying to make up for the loss with new efforts to attract digital subscribers.

As part of the strategy, NYT was considering 10 to 15 areas, including parenting, wellness, beauty and fashion where it could offer separate subscriptions, said Alex MacCallum, recently appointed head of the Times’ new products and ventures division.

Of those, two or three would be introduced next year, she said.

The plans follow the introduction of a digital subscription for unlimited access to its crossword puzzles for US$6.95 (RM28.63) per month, and the June launch of a US$5 per month NYT Cooking subscription.

The mini-subscriptions are designed to appeal to readers who only want access to certain features. The Times’ All Access subscription, which includes all the Times’ content, including NYT Cooking and crosswords, costs US$27 per month. Basic unlimited news access is US$16 per month.

MacCallum said NYT would test the new subscriptions as part of a bundle with the news product, which it already did with NYT Cooking and Crossword.