Willingness to pay for online news: An empirical study on the viability of the subscription model
Hsiang Iris Chyi
Chyi, H. I. (2005). Willingness to pay for online news: An empirical study on the viability of the subscription model. Journal of Media Economics, 18(2), 131-142.
Abstract
As no business models seem to generate reliable revenue streams for online news services, many publishers see the subscription model as the last resort for survival while little evidence suggests users are ready to pay for online news at this moment. A random-sample telephone survey of 853 Hong Kong residents found very few users actually responded to paid content and most had no intent to pay in the future. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that age and newspaper use are related to paying intent, while income is not. Online publishers may consider the economic implications before adopting the subscription model.
