View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
September 24, 2009updated 25 Sep 2009 4:22pm

Poll: 48% of readers will pay for online subscription if it comes with benefits

By Roberto Barros

Almost half of news website readers would pay to access online content if they also received a free or discounted subscription to the printed product, according to a poll.

Paid Content has been running the results of a survey into consumers’ resistance to paying for online content all week.

The poll suggested only 5 per cent of people who read news at least once a month would pay for online content.

If print and online subscription was offered in tandem, things get more interesting.

When a free or discounted subscription to the printed paper is added to the online content charge,  48 per cent of those surveyed said they would be willing to pay. However, more than half of respondents said this option will prove to be a turn off for them.

The message is loud and clear – people continue to believe that touchable products command tangible economic value but, divorced from physicality and its associated costs, that digital content should manifest itself cheaper.

 Harris Interactive, which conducted the survey, asked 1,188 adults for their views on paying for online content. Its results have been coming in all week.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

It was revealed on Monday that 74 per cent of those surveyed would switch to a free alternative if their favorite news service started charging for online content. Only five percent would pay to continue reading.

On Tuesday it was revealed that the few respondents who were willing to pay for subscriptions would prefer to do so annually instead of in micro- payments.

Yesterday it was revealed that respondents were prepared to pay amounts as low as £10 for an annual subscription, £0.25 for a day pass and per-article fees of between 1p and 2p.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network