Would You Pay to Read Entertainment News Online? Time Inc. Sure Hopes So
Since Time Inc. became an indepedent publicly traded company last June, executives at the nation’s large magazine publisher have tried to convince Wall Street investors that it’s quickly transforming into a digital-first media company. It’s certainly made strides, introducing video series, increasing traffic to sites like Time and People and, just this week, acquiring sports blogging network FanSided.
But the company remains heavily reliant on print. During the first quarter of 2015, print comprised roughly 80% of the company’s advertising sales, which is responsible for well more than half its overall revenue.
Now, to wring more money from digital, Time Inc. has implemented a paywall for Entertainment Weekly’s website, the first in what will be a series of paywalls across the company’s various sites.
