23 Mar 10

Times Online close to paywall

By Laura Fenton, Trainee Digital Planner/Buyer

It seems the beginning of the Times Online paid content is upon us, with users registered with the website and subscribers to the Times invited to register for a special preview of the 'new digital proposition', which will include a paywall around its content.

In an email sent to staff last week, Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks confirmed that the website will start charging for its online journalism. This will undoubtedly have an impact on the site's number of unique users and Brooks herself has said she expects numbers to fall dramatically as a result of the paid content. She does, however, add that those customers who do choose to subscribe to read premium content will in turn be more engaged with, and committed to, the title.

Further details are due to be announced shortly, and it will be certainly interesting to see what form the new website(s) take and more crucially what knock-on effect this will have on free digital news content and its online advertising going forwards.