路透_牛津-2019年网络新闻付费模式调查（英文）-2019.5-16页_2mb

Summary of Pay Models for Online News in the US and Europe: 2019 Update

Core Content

This report provides an updated analysis of pay models for online news in the US and Europe, focusing on the adoption and evolution of digital subscription strategies across various media types and regions.

Main Findings

• Overall Adoption of Pay Models:

  • In 2019, 69% of newspapers in the sample operate some kind of pay model, a small increase from 64.5% in 2017.
  • Hard paywalls are extremely rare, with 33% of newspapers using freemium models and 33% using metered paywalls.
  • 57% of weekly newspapers and news magazines use a pay model, a 5 percentage point decline from 2017.
  • All TV news outlets continue to offer free access to their digital content.
  • 94% of digital-born news outlets offer free access to their news.

• Subscription Pricing:

  • The average monthly subscription price for pay models in 2019 is €14.06 (£12.19), similar to 2017.
  • Prices vary significantly across countries and models, ranging from €2 (£1.74) to €41.50 (£36).
  • Metered paywalls have the highest average price at €15.46 (£13.40), while freemium models are cheaper at €11.78 (£10.21).
  • Business newspapers are the most expensive, with an average monthly price of €28.32 (£24.55).

• Country-Specific Trends:

  • Finland, France, Germany, Poland, and the US have a majority of top newspapers and news weeklies adopting pay models.
  • Italy and the UK have a majority of major newspapers and weeklies still offering free access to digital news.
  • The US has seen a sharp rise in paywall adoption, with 48% of outlets using a pay model in 2019 (up from 38% in 2017).
  • Poland has the lowest average monthly price at €9.05 (£7.84), while the UK has the highest average monthly price at €17.45 (£15.12).

• Market Orientation and Pay Models:

  • Regional newspapers have embraced paywalls more than up-market or tabloid/mid-market newspapers.
  • Digital-born outlets are the least likely to use pay models, with 94% offering free access.
  • Freemium models are the most widely used across Europe, while the US does not have any freemium models in the sample.

• Strategic Shift in the Industry:

  • The industry is moving away from free digital news and display advertising as the main revenue sources.
  • Subscriptions and membership models are becoming the key focus for the future, with 52% of executives expecting this to be the main revenue focus in 2019.
  • Some outlets, such as the Guardian and die tageszeitung, allow donations as an alternative to subscriptions.

Key Points

• Pay Models Overview:

  • Hard paywalls: Rare, used by 2.83% of all outlets.
  • Freemium models: Widely used, at 23.58%.
  • Metered paywalls: The most common, at 20.75%.
  • Free access: Still dominant, with 52.83% of outlets offering free content.

• Market Differences:

  • US leads in paywall adoption, with 65.51% of outlets using pay models.
  • UK has the lowest percentage of pay models among newspapers and weeklies at 33%.
  • Freemium models are most prevalent in Poland and France, while metered paywalls dominate in Germany and the US.

• Challenges and Outlook:

  • While pay models are gaining traction, reader revenues are still incremental and cannot fully offset declining legacy revenues.
  • Fears about paywalls limiting access to quality information are overblown, as 53% of outlets still offer free access.
  • There is cautious optimism that some readers are willing to pay for digital news, especially younger users.

Conclusion

• Paywalls are here to stay, but their adoption is not uniform across countries and media types.
• The US has seen a more rapid shift toward pay models than the EU.
• Digital-born outlets continue to offer free access, but this may change as the industry evolves.
• The challenge for news organisations is to deliver quality content, enhance user experience, and effectively market their subscription models to non-paying users.

Tables Summary

• Table 1: Lists the average monthly prices for different pay models in each country.
• Table 2: Shows the percentage of free access by outlet type.
• Table 3: Provides the distribution of pay models across all outlets.
• Table 4: Summarises pay model adoption by country and media type.
• Table 5: Details pay model usage for newspapers and weeklies only, with average prices and percentages.

Methodology and Sample

• The study included 212 news organisations: 170 in Europe and 42 in the US.
• Data was collected between 25 March and 22 April 2019.
• The sample includes daily newspapers, weekly newspapers and news magazines, TV news, and digital-born outlets.
• Comscore and Digital News Report data were used to determine reach and pay model types.

Acknowledgments

• The authors thank the Reuters Institute team for their support, including Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Nic Newman, and Alex Reid.
• An erratum was issued for an earlier version of the report, correcting the pay model classification for Newsweek Polska.

Authors

• Felix M. Simon: Research Assistant at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
• Lucas Graves: Acting Director of Research and Senior Research Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.