Thursday 18th July: Will Apple News finally generate meaningful revenue for publishers?

Good morning! Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Peter.

Press Gazette's Future of Media Technology Conference returns to deliver a one-day masterclass on the strategies, solutions and ideas to thrive in the digital era, enabling quality journalism, news and media to succeed in the long term. This conference brings together senior decision-makers from publishers, media and news groups, alongside technology providers and broadcasters to share their best practices and success stories. Secure your place, or enquire about our group tickets.

Yesterday, Chris shared the news that Apple News will be collaborating with Taboola on ad sales. Today, Simon Owens is having a look at what that might actually mean for publishers. And after the ‘failure’ of Apple’s ad-sales outsourcing deal with NBC, this might be good news.

It’s no secret we have been less than complimentary about Taboola’s Chumbox advertising solutions, but Simon sees value in their ability to deliver self-service native advertising. What does that mean for the publishers on Apple News? Hopefully a more meaningful revenue share, he says.

“Historically, publishers have mostly viewed the free version of Apple News as a marketing tool to drive readers back to their owned and operated websites. But if Taboola does succeed at increasing the platform’s ad revenue, then publishers might find themselves with a new meaningful revenue source.” Over to you Taboola.

Related from us:Yes, you can use Apple News to build first-party data

New research commissioned by ad-tech firm The Trade Desk shows that two-thirds of Britons expect to access online content for free. Just 10.9% said they subscribe to current affairs content, although the proportion willing to pay rises when people are asked about articles relating to their personal interests - sport, showbiz, music and finance. The research suggests 13.3% subscribe to read these sorts of articles with 9.1% paying occasionally. TLDR, niche is better than news if you’re after reader revenue.

The ability to think strategically is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of media organisations. However, with journalism studies focused on producing high-quality content, there can be a gap in strategic skill sets. “Anyone in managerial positions of a certain level needs to stop worrying about daily problems, or at least delegate most of it to focus and to invest time in understanding what is happening outside the company,” says Roberto Suárez Candel of media consultancy South180. Step away from your desks, people. Step away from your desks.

If you’ll excuse the pun, this story is an open goal for a Scot. The serious point is that publishers are losing money because brands are blanket blocking words like ‘shot’ or ‘shoot’. Keyword blocking without context means potentially valuable inventory is going begging. Of course you could argue that putting ads next to any coverage of the England men’s football team playing in a major final is never going to be brand safe unless you’re selling ‘dry your eyes’ paper tissues. Too soon?

More from Media Voices