Sun Launches Online Paywall for Digital Content

UK-based newspaper, The Sun, has launched its new digital service which will be placed behind a paywall.

All content has previously been made available for free across the various web-based platforms but News UK (formerly News International), the parent company of the publication, has decided to introduce restrictions.

The new service, which will be called Sun+, will include seven-day access to the Sun online, using a range of computing devices including laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Consumers have been found to be more inclined to pay for their news content than in previous years and several media outlets have brought in a paywall to accommodate this.

Analysts at IHS Electronics and Media have stated The Sun will need more than 250,000 subscribers to cover the loss of digital ads, the Guardian reports.

However, News UK believes the brand can reach a high online readership with Sun+. Paywalls offer more benefits for companies as having people subscribe to the service means the income is a better guarantee than individuals who buy the print edition.

The firm will now attempt to push forward with its exclusive content to boost uptake of its digital subscription packages.

When customers subscribe they will enter their information into the system and this can be used to target them with specific content they may be interested in, based on their reading habits.

The Sun is currently the UK’s best-selling physical newspaper but failed to become the largest free website on the market. The Daily Mail positioned itself quickly as a large free online service to compliment the content found in the newspaper and it now stands as one of the most-visited websites in the world.

Online subscriptions are becoming more commonplace in the publishing industry as companies attempt to make up a gap in revenue brought about by declining newspaper sales.