Ending the culture of free

Kantar Media’s Futureproof study of 2,400 adults reveals consumers are more willing to pay one-off charges for digital content than micropayments

Rupert Murdoch has put an end to the culture of free by closing News International’s online content behind a paywall, believed to go live within days.

The media mogul’s attempt to change consumers’ “online equals free” mindset has come under considerable scrutiny, with reports suggesting consumers simply won’t pay for online content in a world where the BBC offers it for free.

Kantar Media’s Futureproof study, which was conducted in August last year among a panel of 2,400 adults in Great Britain, considered willingness to pay across a variety of media. Television emerged as the medium most respondents are willing to pay for (23% of the panel agreed they would pay), although things looked less profitable for online newspapers...more