Apple will take a small portion of publishers' sales if it joins Apple News

Apple has a new offer for publishers: Join Apple News, and it'll take 15 percent of your in-app purchases and subscriptions instead of just 30 percent. Publishers can apply to the Apple News Partner Program to be accepted. I try, but they have to. As per Apple's requirements, that naturally benefits Apple and goes beyond just maintaining a channel on Apple News.

The list of specific eligibility requirements to apply is brief, but it is worth sharing in its entirety:

You must maintain a strong Apple News Channel in Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and post all content on that channel in the Apple News format. If you live outside of these regions and do not publish in Apple News format, you will need to share content via an RSS feed.

The primary function of your app should be to deliver professionally written and original news content.

Your App must be available on the App Store and allow users to purchase automatically renewable subscriptions through Apple's in-app purchase system.

The account holder of an Apple Developer Program subscription must agree to a separate addendum to the Apple Developer Program License Agreement.

Therefore, publishers are expected to maintain their Apple News Channel, publish in Apple News format (ANF) and offer an app in the App Store that automatically renews subscriptions and only "original news created by professionals". content" provides. Apple says the News Partner Program will also support and fund organizations that educate readers on media literacy and "increase efforts to diversify newsrooms and news coverage."

Maintaining the app and publishing it in a completely different proprietary format is a side job, but based on what Apple has said to publishers in the past, it could be a welcome relief. Apple traditionally charges a 30 percent commission on in-app subscriptions that drops to 15 percent a year later, but before the launch of Apple News, rumors suggested that Apple was asking publishers for 50 percent. Naturally, news publishers didn't like this much, especially when they learned that Amazon got special treatment.

Following the harsh treatment, it is unclear whether the news partner program will attract former publishers such as The New York Times. There is also an idea of what this would look like given the antitrust lawsuits Apple is currently involved in in the US and abroad. But until recently, the company hasn't exactly been one to consider the optics of major relocation business decisions, so you're probably hoping publishers won't either.