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Was giving away digital journalism for free really the original sin of publishers? From the Daily Mail’s successful Deep Dive articles to the AI industry’s free-to-paid business models, this episode challenges one of the media industry’s most persistent myths. It’s time to forgive the publishers of 30 years ago.

Discover how DPG Media turns conventional subscription price communication upside down.

Do subscription companies really make their money from customers who forget to cancel? It's a popular belief, but surprisingly little is known about how significant this effect actually is. An academic paper claims to have cracked the puzzle and calculated the economic value of subscriber inertia. The method is ingenious. The conclusions are not.

Link to study: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w31547/w31547.pdf

“Ask me” is becoming a standard feature of news products. That’s fine. But it isn’t, and must not be mistaken for, the product itself.

Just a short glimpse over my shoulder. This summer, I've come across quite a few subscription-based news products in different markets which share a common USP.

Only recently, I stumbled across the incorrect use of the term “hypothesis” for the umpteenth time. Since I think this particular error poses a risk to every test-and-learn approach in the reader revenue business, I try to clarify it. And to build a bridge to help you remember — the bridge between hypotheses and hippopotamuses.

What if the perfect AI-generated personal newspaper is a contradiction in itself? The better AI knows what you want, the harder it may become to show you what you didn’t know you needed. A few thoughts on personalisation, serendipity – and why human-curated journalism may matter more than ever.

Average delivery costs are misleading. A closer look at what newspaper delivery really costs, why it matters and what can be done about it.

A daily news routine, a synthetic voice, and the fragile balance between habit and brevity — why small changes can break big loyalties.

Can you charge for content that's available elsewhere for free? Absolutely. This episode explains why exclusivity is overrated—and why curation, convenience, and product design can be just as valuable.

What if people don't subscribe just to access content? New research suggests that supporting journalism is one of the strongest motivations for paying—and publishers should rethink how they ask for subscriptions.

WHAT DO NEWS READERS WANT?

https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w35289/w35289.pdf

No Paywall. 50,000 Supporters. Under 1% Monthly Churn.

A regional newspaper replaced its €1 trial offer with a pay-what-you-want model. The result: higher prices, more subscriptions, and better retention. An early but fascinating indication that pay what you want may be ready for the mainstream.

working on the next issue of pv digest (just a short glimpse over my shoulder)

A simple idea from Le Monde: make time a premium feature. What delayed access can teach us about digital subscription value.

Many publishers still see long introductory offers as little more than aggressive discounting. I think that's a mistake. A $1-for-12-months offer is not primarily about price — it's about time. Time to build habits, create engagement, and ultimately convert readers into long-term subscribers. In this episode, I explain why some of the cheapest subscription offers can become the most valuable customer acquisition tools.

00:00 Intro (impressions from Marseille)

00:35 the topic of this podcast

01:10 the fundamental misunderstanding (and thunderstarting to roar during my recording 😉)

02:00 what time changes

02:35 the paradox

03:10 the true reasoning of long lasting trials offers

03:50 ample practical evidence

04:50 it works also for local publishers

05:10 invitation to disagree

05:30 simple advice

I received some fascinating feedback on my last episode, 'The Local News Paradox' — including an alternative theory I don’t want to keep from you. Although, when it comes to the US, I still have a few questions about it…

Why do national media succeed with paid content far more often than local publishers — even though local news should matter more to people’s everyday lives? Some thoughts and a big unanswered question about the future of local journalism.

A presentation at a German reader revenue conference sparked a thought about AI voice technology: even when AI conversations are slightly worse than human ones, they may still outperform humans overall by removing the limits of scale and timing.

In this episode, I reflect on the departure of Andrew Morse from the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and on a digital transformation strategy that, in my view, deserved a much bigger chance.

In this episode, I explore the rise of “Super-Plus” premium subscriptions in digital publishing.

Across Germany and internationally, more and more publishers are launching higher-priced subscription tiers above their regular digital plans — often bundled with features like family accounts, article gifting, exclusive content, games, or access to additional products.

I looked at how these offers are structured, what publishers charge for them, and whether the strategy actually works in practice.

One key takeaway:
For many publishers, these premium tiers seem to be becoming an increasingly effective way to increase reader revenue without simply raising the base subscription price.

00:00 Intro
01:02 the sample I've looked at
01:45 what do Super-Plus-Premiums subs offer?
02:52 do they work? (data from a real world example)
03:49 the takeaway

What is this about?