New York Times videos now exempt from paywall, free 'for the foreseeable future'
The New York Times announced this morning that its paywall is coming down from the videos section of its website, meaning that you can now enjoy more than 10 videos per month about vegetable caramelization best practices. The free access comes at the price of advertiser content, of course, which runs ahead of the videos and hocks both Microsoft wares and Acura vehicles currently. A NYT press rep told Engadget that the move to unlimited video access isn't temporary, but "never say never." We were also told that it isn't a test, and, "This is what we're doing now. In terms of when and if we'll move it back behind the gateway, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We literally have no idea. For the foreseeable future, it's free."
The Grey Lady has been experimenting with its digital presence for several years now, and the publication instituted a site-wide paywall in 2011. The setup allowed readers free access to 10 pieces per month before being forced to login with a paid access account -- like so many paywalls, it can be easily gotten around using alternate web browsers, and, for a long while, by simply removing a chunk of the URL that redirected visitors to its paywall, anyone could read an unlimited amount of stories / watch unlimited videos. The paper's seen financial success in digital form as of late, reporting increased subscriber numbers and increased digital revenue alongside ever-decreasing ad sales.
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THE NEW YORK TIMES TO OFFER FREE
UNLIMITED ACCESS TO ONLINE VIDEO
All NYTimes.com Users Will Have Free Access to Video on NYTimes.com and
on Mobile Apps Courtesy of Acura and Microsoft
NEW YORK, April 23, 2013 – The New York Times announced that beginning today it will offer unlimited access to video (NYTimes.com/video) on NYTimes.com, on the mobile Web site (m.nytimes.com) and on mobile applications, to all users regardless of their subscription status.
Courtesy of Acura and Microsoft, video views will not count against the 10-article per month limit set for non-subscribers.
Denise Warren, executive vice president, Digital Products and Services Group, The New York Times, said: "As we continue to tell stories through video and increase our offerings, we want to ensure NYTimes.com users can watch and explore our video content with ease. We are grateful to Acura and Microsoft for providing the support we need to continue to expand our best-in-class video content and deliver it to our vast NYTimes.com audience."
"Acura is excited to collaborate with The New York Times for this prestigious and exciting opportunity as we continue to grow our online video investments," said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president at American Honda.
NYTimes.com features both live and on-demand video, organized into categories including News/TimesCast, Editor's Choice, World, U.S., Business, Science, Opinion, Arts, Style, Sports and Latest News.
About The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT), a leading global, multimedia news and information company with 2012 revenues of $2.0 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, NYTimes.com, BostonGlobe.com, Boston.com and related properties. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information.
