Boston Globe to Launch Separate Paid Subscription Website
BOSTON—Sept. 30, 2010—The Boston Globe will launch a paid subscription Website, BostonGlobe.com, in the second half of 2011 and Boston.com will remain free, to better serve a wide array of consumers and advertisers as part of a two-brand strategy.
Boston.com will remain free to users, offering daily local news reports, sports and weather, as well as comprehensive guides to local entertainment, travel and restaurants. The site also will enable individuals with common interests to share ideas and experiences, and provide a convenient means of buying a range of goods and services. It will continue to feature all Globe classified advertising for real estate, autos and jobs. Access to full stories and other content published in The Boston Globe will be limited.
BostonGlobe.com will be introduced as a new subscription site that contains all news and feature stories, commentary, analysis, photographs and graphics published in the daily and Sunday newspaper editions. It will offer a bold, elegant format that approximates the feel of a newspaper or magazine and allows the best possible experience for reading the Globe's high-quality journalism. A subscription to BostonGlobe.com will be included for free as part of a print subscription to The Boston Globe.
As part of its digital strategy, The Boston Globe will also develop a full range of Globe-branded digital products that will allow access to Globe content wherever, whenever and however readers wish.
"Our research shows that Boston.com currently attracts several different types of users. Some are readers whose main interest is breaking news and things to do, while others want access to the entirety of The Boston Globe," said Christopher Mayer, publisher of The Boston Globe, and president, New England Media Group. "These two distinct sites will allow us to serve both types of readers with maximum effectiveness, while continuing to provide advertisers the large engaged audience they have come to expect from Boston.com."
Both BostonGlobe.com and Boston.com will provide rich, multimedia experiences—including extensive video—and deploy the latest technologies. Both will be updated and managed throughout the day and night to satisfy users' interests and meet the needs of advertisers. Both will allow users to personalize and customize their reading experiences.
In the fourth quarter of 2010, Boston.com will re-introduce user registration which will allow advertisers a powerful tool with which to target specific segments of the Boston.com audience.
About New England Media Group:
The New England Media Group comprises The Boston Globe, Boston.com, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Telegram.com and related businesses. This group is part of The New York Times Co., a leading media company with 2009 revenues of $2.4 billion, which includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
Source: Company press release.