Payment for online content gets the thumbs-up
More consumers are prepared to pay for content online than previously thought, according to a global survey by Nielsen, providing encouragement to the media groups preparing to move their news behind a paywall.
A third of the 27,000 people surveyed in 52 countries said they would consider paying to access newspapers’ websites, Nielsen found. Fifty-eight per cent said they would not pay while 8 per cent already subscribe to some sites.
Consumers under 35 were more willing to pay than their elders, the survey also revealed.
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, the New York Times and Axel Springer are among the media groups currently planning to erect paywalls on their newspaper sites. Many had assumed that all but a small minority would seek alternative sources of news, especially with free alternatives such as the BBC.
To date, only specialised sources of content, including business newspapers such as the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, and business-to-business publications, have widely adopted online subscriptions or micropayments for individual articles.
Asked about online charging in general, the vast majority of consumers would prefer not to pay. Nielsen found that 85 per said content that is currently free online should remain so, with 79 per cent unwilling to part with cash for online information which they believe they can find elsewhere for free.
Audiences in North America and Europe are “least eager to pay”, Nielsen said, perhaps because these regions have had free content available online for longest.
Micropayments were the most popular charging model, Nielsen found, although media groups are yet to develop a simple and affordable way to charge for individual pieces of content across a variety of sites.
Would you pay for online content? What would you do if this site started charging you to read it? This is a topical debate and one that’s likely to run so we’re keen to learn your thoughts.
Original source: FT.com
Edited by Simon Lewis | Only Marketing Jobs
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