Popular Science Magazine For iPad Signs Up Its 10,000th Yearly Subscriber
March 31, 2011
Popular Science magazine sold its 10,000th subscription to its iPad edition last week, and that came after accepting Apple’s new subscription model, which gives Steve Jobs and his company 30 percent of the profits from each sale. While that number is nowhere near the 1.2 million print subscriptions, it is great news for Popular Science, according to one of its executives who spoke to Ad Age.
Launched last year, the Popular Science e-magazine was only available on a per-issue basis for $4.99. However, when Apple’s new system was put into place six weeks ago, the company began offering a $14.99 one-year subscription. This compares to $12.99, which print subscribers pay.
According to Greg Hano, VP-group publisher at the Bonnier Technology Group, which includes Popular Science:
"We are very excited. We really did not have any expectation of what would happen because we're really pioneers."Calling the new iOS subscription model “a step in the right direction,” Popular Science apparently has no problem paying Apple 30 percent of each subscription sale. In addition, the magazine seems fine with knowing absolutely nothing about those 10,000 subscribers. In signing up for Apple’s system, publishers agree to be denied subscriber information, which publishers have used with print subscriptions for marketing purposes. This limitation has caused some publishers to pass on the system, but not Popular Science. Hano stated:
"We don't have any information on where the subscribers are coming from or whether or not they are or are not print subscribers. Nor do we at this time know the number of people who have opted in to share their data with us."With Popular Science apparently calling Apple’s subscription policy a success, it will be interesting to see how other magazine publishers react to this news, if at all. Popular Science magazine is available for the iPad in the App Store.
