The Guardian returning to Apple News in UK as deal improves

US readers may never have known it, but The Guardian removed its content from Apple News in the UK five years ago. Now the newspaper is coming back, because Apple has made it easier for publishers to make money through the service.

The Guardian comes back as the money improves

Content from The Guardian was still available on Apple News in the US, Canada, and Australia, but not the UK. It’s a return journey, given that the publisher was among the first outlets to join the service in 2015, but withdrew two years later as it wanted to build up its own subscription revenues.

The publisher announced the decision to staff on Wednesday, according to the Press Gazette, but what makes the decision interesting is the reasons given for taking it. The Guardian now thinks working with Apple News will help it reach a wider audience and grow subscription revenues.

What they get

Apple has been tweaking Apple News and what it offers publishers since inception.

It is now easier for publishers to generate supporter and advertising revenue through the service, which offers them access to a vast audience of users, a slice of ads revenue and the chance to sell subscriptions and accept reader donations. Apple already offers publishers 100% of ads a publisher sells and 70% from ads inventory sold by Apple. It also offers the News Partner Program.

The Press Gazette report takes note that Apple now charges a reduced commission to publishers who offer their content across all four nations. Those who do so pay a reduced 15% commission on subs and donations, rather than 30%.

Bigger than the BBC

Apple has steadily built up Apple News readership.

UK media regulator Ofcom in 2022 told us that Apple News readership doubled since 2020, and became more popular than the BBC News app in 2021. This growing audience is translating into significant opportunity for publishers, prompting News Corp to describe Apple News as being: “Expected to be an important source of subscriptions and of advertising revenue for our news sites around the world.”

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