The paid-content riches are in the niches


GVX247Over on the “This is How We Roll” blog, I’ve posted some thoughts about a paid-content site I’ve been working on for weeks with 247Sports.com called GVX247.
 
It launches Thursday and you can get all the details from the post there.
 
There’s been a lot of talk about paid content in 2010 and there will be more in 2011. Big experiments by media giants have launched in the last several months and more big experiments will launch in 2011,
 
Some of those involve paid newspaper.com websites, some involve iPad app strategies,  some involve niche sites, and some involve other models, including metered use.
 
The Analog Dollars to Digital Dimes problem has more than few publishers up at night looking for solutions beyond just advertising-supported media. What consumers will pay for and what they believe they should receive for free is a moving target. Finding the right place on the spectrum will be crucial for the eventual winners … and fatal to the eventual losers.
 
I do not see much of a future in taking shovelware newspaper.com content behind a paywall. For those that want to try it, good luck. The value equation just doesn’t seem to add up to much for the user along with the downside risk for publishers of becoming irrelevant in the community or marketplace (however you want to define those).
 
I do see the potential for deep dive paid-subscription content in niches with sports being one of the obvious top of the list plays. Financial information seems to work pretty for the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg as well.
 
What future do you see for paid content?

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