News+ publishers not told of app changes, traffic loss 'a big deal'

Apple News+ publishers say they weren't told of upcoming changes to Apple's new app, and that the new changes could mean "meaningful traffic loss" for their sites.

As reported by AdAge:

Apple did not inform three large publishers about a change in its software that would redirect user traffic away from their websites and toward its News+ app instead, according to three executives inside the companies that have direct dealings regarding Apple News+.

Earlier this week, it emerged Apple News would change the way it handles links in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur:

Reported by MacRumors, the new software is introducing a toggle that will open web links from Apple News+ publishers directly in the Apple News app instead of taking users to the publisher's website.

As expected, some publishers aren't happy about the move, which they say could cause significant loss of traffic to their websites. From the report:

Two of the executives at the publishers told Ad Age they receive decent traffic through their deal with Apple, but are now questioning how it will impact their bottom line, as they each have greater monetization opportunities through their owned properties.

Terminating the partnership with Apple would take several months, not years, to execute, one of them said. "The math around this becomes really hard to justify," this person added. "From a [revenue per thousand impressions] perspective, it is not like Apple is crushing it right now. But if there's meaningful traffic loss, it will be a big deal."

Not only are the publishers upset about the potential lost traffic, they also weren't told about the changes, two stating they had learned about the change through press releases and social media.

The news follows reports Apple may be planning to bundle its News+ service with other subscriptions as part of a new 'Apple One' bundle.