Apple and Time Inc. Reach Deal to Allow Print Subscribers Free iPad Access

101613 time si fortune

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple and Time Inc. have finally reached a deal to allow subscribers to the print editions of Time's major magazines to access the iPad versions of those magazines free of charge. The deal breaks a months-long impasse that initially focused on paid subscription models but has also included accommodations for print subscribers. The two companies had reached an agreement for People last August, but Time's other titles have remained outside of that agreement until now.

Starting Monday, subscribers to Sports Illustrated, Time and Fortune magazines will be able to access the iPad editions via the apps, which will be able to authenticate them as subscribers. Time Inc.'s People magazine already had such an arrangement, but readers of most publications have had to pay separately for the iPad version regardless of their subscriber status.

According to the report, Time and Apple remain in disagreement over plans to offer digital subscriptions to iPad editions. Apple has of course rolled out an in app subscription program in which it collects 30% of all subscription revenue and gives subscribers direct control over whether their information is shared with publishers, and while several newspapers have begun offering content under the program, magazines have been more reluctant to do so.

Time Inc. and other major publishers have yet to agree with Apple on terms for selling subscriptions to their iPad editions, the next step beyond making them available to existing print subscribers. Talks are hung up on Apple's resistance to sharing information with publishers about their iPad customers, which publishers say is critical to applying the "TV everywhere" model to magazines.

In the absence of subscription plans, most users are stuck with purchasing single issues of their magazines for the iPad, a much more expensive proposition that has led to weak sales figures for most publications.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...

Top Rated Comments

mram Avatar
181 months ago
Why want the print anyway?

Why would anyone want to have both the print and digital editions? Buy either the print or the iPad edition.... If you want the iPad edition, but have print already, cancel your print subscription. I don't even have an iPad, never will because of the radiation, but it's not to hard to make choices, now is it?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wrenhunter Avatar
181 months ago
Exactly what I was thinking.
How is this such a big deal when existing customers of other print publications are able to view the iPad equivalents free of charge?

Most US magazines do NOT do this (in the very post you commented on, minimac noted that Wired doesn't, either -- and they're wired!). And it's not quite as simple as "entering credentials in an app", since many print subscribers have no online relationship with the publisher.

A magazine could create an app that mirrors the "manage your account" of their websites, where you enter your mailing address or account number. Maybe they think consumers would prefer to use a central (Apple store) account. I would.

Both sides are being greedy, but I think Apple is a bit worse -- they want a 30% cut *and* the subscriber relationship, which often leads to more income via add-on sales. If publishers have to pay 30%, they should get the customer details.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Popeye206 Avatar
181 months ago
this is awesome. Have already had this ability on my Xoom for quite some time with Sports Illustrated. Glad Apple caught up.

LOL! What's "quite some time"? A Month? Doubt it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Popeye206 Avatar
181 months ago
The fact that needed to be any extensive negotiation speaks volumes. Publishers should be allowed to this, without ANY money-grubbing interference from Apple. This is an issue between the subscriber and the publisher - Apple needs to butt out.

LOL! Obviously we don't know the details of what really went on, and it's obvious that Apple is adjusting to help expand the market.

Just because the rules are being defined in this new digital world, doesn't mean everyone is evil. I'm sure everyone is trying to protect their turf and bottom line... we're getting what the market wants.

But of course, again... if you look at it logically from a business side, your constant Apple bashing doesn't hold up.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0087215 Avatar
181 months ago
Why would anyone want to have both the print and digital editions? Buy either the print or the iPad edition.... If you want the iPad edition, but have print already, cancel your print subscription. I don't even have an iPad, never will because of the radiation, but it's not to hard to make choices, now is it?

Because of the radiation? :) Haha, what do you mean?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dwd3885 Avatar
181 months ago
this is awesome. Have already had this ability on my Xoom for quite some time with Sports Illustrated. Glad Apple caught up.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)