Best (Cheapest) Way To Get NYTimes Digital Access

The much debated pricing plan goes into effect at 2p today. Readers who do not subscribe to digital or print editions will hit paywall after reading 20 stories in a month

Last week when The New York Times announced its paywall pricing, I speculated readers would get a better ROI by subscribing to the Sunday print edition which would include digital access. (Of course, you must live a live in an area where home delivery is available. A web-only digital plan is not available and newsstand sales will not get you digital access.

At the time I wondered if the NYTimes would acutally give digital access for a Sunday-only subscription.  Well, the answer is: Yes they would.  Why?  Obviously the plan would be to boost Sunday print circulation, because it's a money maker.

Take a look at this from Frédéric Filloux, Edited at Monday Note:

Let’s stop a moment and behold the printed New York Times’ true gem: its Sunday edition. It changes everything in our look at the paper’s digital equation:

Sunday circulation is 54% higher than on weekdays (1.35m vs. 877,000).

It’s an expensive package: $5.00 in New York, $6.00 elsewhere in the country.

Sunday copy sales bring five times more money than any weekday.

Advertising-wise, some analysts say the Sunday NYT accounts for about 50% of the paper’s entire advertising revenue.

Altogether, between circulation revenue and ads, it is safe to say that NYTimes’ weekend edition makes the same amount of money as the rest of the week combined. (For a good analysis of the subject, read The newsonomics of Sunday paper/tablet subscriptions by Ken Doctor, on the Nieman Journalism Lab blog).

Just as important, reader engagement is much stronger on Sundays: with an average reading time of 53 minutes for the Sunday edition vs. 36 minutes on weekdays. In parallel, demographics are spectacular: the Sunday reader’s median household income is $112,154. A strong number for the sales team’s pitch to advertisers.

Read more here.

Also Must Read:

PAID CONTENT: The NYT Pay Plan’s Most Dangerous Foe Is Perception

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