Apple could be planning an update to its Apple News app that would dramatically change how publishers monetize their content on the service.
The iPhone maker is working towards allowing media outlets to use their own advertising technology inside the company’s News app, AdAge is reporting, citing sources. The move would allow Apple to pitch the News app as an extension to the publishers’ existing websites, rather than a separate entity on which they can serve content to readers.
Apple News is the tech giant’s answer to third-party apps that allow users to access content from all types of publishers in a single pane. The app, which comes pre-installed in Apple’s iOS mobile operating system, allows users to choose their interests and favorite media outlets and access all of their content inside the program.
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While Apple (AAPL) has pitched its News app as a must-have for both readers and publishers, it’s proven far less financially appealing to the media outlets.
Apple has retained strict control over the advertising policies in the News app, according to AdAge, which spoke with some unidentified publishers. And those policies contribute to relatively disappointing revenue from delivering content to the service.
Apple’s move, then, could be seen as publisher-friendly. But it might also be a boon for competitor Alphabet, which controls a large portion of publisher advertising revenue through its Google DoubleClick service. According to AdAge, if Apple implements the change in policy, publishers could serve Google (GOOGL) DoubleClick ads through Apple News.
Ultimately, Apple News presents big opportunities for publishers. It’s one of the more popular iOS apps, and according to data from research firm ComScore that AdAge obtained, it has secured nearly 50 million unique users each month.
AdAge‘s sources didn’t say when Apple might implement the change.
