Google will start paying News Corp for news content, after signing a multi-year deal that promises to deliver “significant” payments.
In the same week that Seven West Media and Nine agreed to deals with the tech giant, the News Corp deal will see titles such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch, New York Post, The Times, The Sunday Times, The SunThe Australian, news.com.au, Sky News and Australian metropolitan and local titles included in the Google News Showcase.
News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson thanked Google and the Australian government for getting the deal across the line.
“I would like to thank Sundar Pichai and his team at Google who have shown a thoughtful commitment to journalism that will resonate in every country. This has been a passionate cause for our company for well over a decade and I am gratified that the terms of trade are changing, not just for News Corp, but for every publisher,” he said.
“Particular thanks are certainly due to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Rod Sims and his able team, along with the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who have stood firm for their country and for journalism.”
The deal will also see News Corp launch a new subscription platform, invest in video journalism for YouTube and share ad revenue via Google’s ad tech stack.
News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller said the deal will help support the future of journalism.
“This is an important moment for our company, but an even more important moment for journalism and the people it serves, no matter how they consume news,” he said.
“The future of commercial news organisations rests on their ability to establish workable business models in the digital era.
“We will continue to invest in journalism and the skills needed to tell stories in new and evolving ways across our communities, and for a digital future.”
