The Financial Times app has been pulled from Apple’s iOS after the two parties were unable to reach a compromise over a subscription model dispute.
Apple’s new digital subscription model, introduced in February, enables content publishers to offer in-app subscriptions to customers with Apple taking a 30% cut from the purchases.
The Financial Times was one of the publications that refused to embrace the new model because Apple wouldn’t share subscriber data with FT.
“We don’t want to lose our direct relationship with our subscribers. It’s at the core of our business model,” said Rob Grimshaw, managing director of the Financial Times‘s main site, at the time.
FT will now redirect users to their web app, which is available at app.ft.com. While FT claims its web app has 550,000 users, the change will surely hurt the newspaper whose iOS app was a success with more than 230,000 subscribers.
Other publications, such as Bonnier’s Popular Science, have embraced Apple’s subscription model, with promising initial results.
Update: Darcy Keller, the FT‘s head of communications in the Americas region, told Mashable that the FT — not Apple — “removed the app after amicable discussions” with the Silicon Valley giant. She added that “iTunes will remain an important channel for new and existing advertising-based apps” and the web app is “now delivering the largest share of subscriptions” across all its mobile channels. Mobile pageviews have also jumped 20% since the launch of the app, she said.
Image courtesy of Flickr, TheNickster
[via PaidContent]
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Posted on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:00:24 +0000 at http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/financial-times-app-pulled-ios/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/financial-times-app-pulled-ios/#comments
Apple’s new digital subscription model, introduced in February, enables content publishers to offer in-app subscriptions to customers with Apple taking a 30% cut from the purchases.
The Financial Times was one of the publications that refused to embrace the new model because Apple wouldn’t share subscriber data with FT.
“We don’t want to lose our direct relationship with our subscribers. It’s at the core of our business model,” said Rob Grimshaw, managing director of the Financial Times‘s main site, at the time.
FT will now redirect users to their web app, which is available at app.ft.com. While FT claims its web app has 550,000 users, the change will surely hurt the newspaper whose iOS app was a success with more than 230,000 subscribers.
Other publications, such as Bonnier’s Popular Science, have embraced Apple’s subscription model, with promising initial results.
Update: Darcy Keller, the FT‘s head of communications in the Americas region, told Mashable that the FT — not Apple — “removed the app after amicable discussions” with the Silicon Valley giant. She added that “iTunes will remain an important channel for new and existing advertising-based apps” and the web app is “now delivering the largest share of subscriptions” across all its mobile channels. Mobile pageviews have also jumped 20% since the launch of the app, she said.
Image courtesy of Flickr, TheNickster
[via PaidContent]
More About: apple, Financial Times, iOSFor more Media coverage:Follow Mashable Media on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Media channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:00:24 +0000 at http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/financial-times-app-pulled-ios/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/financial-times-app-pulled-ios/#comments