Microsoft Corp. is getting ready to charge United Kingdom Web users for access to its popular portal, according to reports Monday in U.K. online publications.If implemented, visitors to msn.co.uk would have to pay a yearly $86 (U.S.) subscription fee for access to MSN's U.K.-specific content offerings including news, sports and classified advertising.
[internetnews.com...]
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It seems like internet users in Europe are nickel and dimed (shilling and penced?) to death. Not only do they pay per minute for internet access, but now, they have to pay to get the news. I just don't think this is going to fly. At least, I know it wouldn't fly in the US. -G
Ad sales are down, so now they will sell information to users.
It almost like PPC revisited, however now it is targeted at the general population of web users and not the advertisers.
The cash cow of advertising has died, so they are in no peril of killing it themselves.
If it works it will be trend setting.
minnapple
The cheek of it.
"But it's unclear whether U.K. users are willing to shell out the shillings for a portal service, MSN's in particular. "
Well I for one would never ever ever pay for msn in a million years! And can't see anyone else I know doing so - but who knows?
With some folks in this country I know still not having figured out what unmetered access is I really can't see this taking off.
And I hope it does not it would be the beginning of the end!
If it does work, then I am sure msn will use it in other countries as well.
-G
have i missed something? isn't the whole thing about the net that it's a fantastic almost nearly free resource for everybody everywhere?
I think the distinction needs to be drawn between the premium content and the bog-standard information on the sites.
The UK has the highest number of digital television users in the world (7 million.) That is a large number of people who are currently prepared to pay for premium content channels.
Given the convergence of broadband and interactive television internet access charges may not be so hard to sell here.
Article is here [telegraph.co.uk]
There is nothing on the MSN portal that is not freely available elsewhere. In fact there are plenty of freebie sources much better.
As it stands, if they do charge, their visitation rates will drop to virtually zero and most advertisers will clear off immediately. Net result, one dead portal.
The only way they will make money from it is by force... by linking it to some other service or product that people need. Sadly, I think we all know that they are capable of a trick like that.
