In preparation for the launch of its new News App coming on iOS 9, Apple is signing up with dozens of publishers at a rapid pace. The company has already signed with over 50 major publications to compete with the likes of Flipboard and Google News.
According to MediaPost, Apple has announced deals with 18 major media companies representing over 50 publications as contributors to Apple News, including Condé Nast, Hearst, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Rolling Stone publisher Wenner Media, Bloomberg, Reuters, BuzzFeed, ESPN, Vox Media and Mashable, among others. Apple has reportedly offered generous terms to put these deals in place.
Apple will allow all publishers to sell ads on the News platform and keep 100 percent of the revenue. Those who do not sell all of their ad inventory can use Apple’s iAds and keep 70 percent of the revenue.
To submit content to the News platform, publishers have to integrate Apple’s API with their own content management systems, allowing them to publish directly to Apple News with special formatting tools designed to make their content more visually engaging.
Apple is hoping their News app will be able to compete with other big news sources on mobile, including Flipboard, Google News, and Facebook’s new Instant Articles platform. The new app will be available to all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners when they upgrade their devices to iOS 9.
According to recent rumors, Apple is expected to announce iOS 9 on September 16. However, Apple will confirm its release date tomorrow during its big keynote.
Source: MediaPost