Jim Romenesko notes that the New York Times—which switched to a paywall a year ago—is cutting in half the number of free articles it allows the hoi polloi to read each month, from 20 to 10, starting in April. “The paper also said that as of Sunday, March 18 — one year after launching paid digital subscriptions — it had approximately 454,000 paid subscribers to its various digital subscription packages, e-readers and replica editions of The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune.”
So! What will you do?
Digital subscriptions come in several different flavors:
- Web and smartphone app: $195/yearly
- Web and tablet app: $240/yearly
- Web, smartphone, and tablet app: $420/yearly
Here are a few options for new print-edition subscribers. Interestingly enough, subscribing to home delivery of the paper gives complete access to the web, smartphone, and tablet apps:
- Daily delivery: $400/yearly
- “Weekender,” Friday-Saturday-Sunday delivery: $280/yearly
- Sunday edition: just over $200/yearly
So it turns out that subscribing to the Sunday edition gives you everything the all-inclusive digital subscription provides, at less than half the cost. At these rates, there’s no reason print should be dead!