- via Engadget
From Engadget, the Philadelphia Media Network is set to offer subsidized Arnova 10 G2 Android tablets to digital subscribers at $99. While this may or may not portend a broader trend, it is refreshing to see publishers at least somewhat acknowledge that the future of their business is not in print.
I love this move, giving away a fairly low cost tablet to further engage a subscriber base. It not likely something that would work with larger tab models (or much larger media companies) but for local media in large/mid size markets, it seems to be an interesting strategy. We’ll see if it leads to increased subs or CPMs.
I would love to see a USA TODAY attempt something like this. National news isn’t owned by anybody (like the WSJ owns financial news) so providing a lower cost tablet as an incentive to subscribe benefits both manufacturers and media companies. As more tablet manufacturers realize the market is not a friendly place (and stock piles up) this may be a cost effective way to unload first gen models to make way for the next wave.