BDLive content is free…for now
Business portal BDLive has temporarily turned off its paywall while it synchronises its systems following the launch of its Sunday Times Plus service.
A number of users reported having unlimited to access to content on the site this week, bringing into question whether the portal had removed its paywall completely, or was dealing with a technical glitch.
Outside of its subscription plans BDLive offers a “free” package – which is open to registered users – which allows users to read a total of 15 articles “for free” every 30 days, before being hit with a prompt to subscribe.
However, several readers reported being able to view far past 15, even 30 articles on the site, with no redirection to a subscription page, nor a notification warning that a limit is being reached.
According to BDLive, the paywall version of the site was pulled down after the launch of Sunday Times Plus – the paid-for online version of the Sunday Times.
“[The launch] impacted our entire User Management system we warned users of BDLive and our other sites that login functionality would be impacted over launch,” the portal said.
“We have kept the paywalled version off but allowed users to comment and have access while we synchronise the rest of our systems.”
BDLive gave no indication as to when the systems would be updated and the paywall put back up.
Paywalls in South Africa
BDLive first implemented a paywall in May 2013, with a subscription plan that many commentators said was far too expensive – charging up to R5,292 for 12 months of access.
BDLive is one of several South African publications to use a paywall to fence off content – others include Beeld, Die Burger, and The Sunday Times.
According to PwC’s Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2014-2018, revenues for digital newspapers in South Africa have remained low; however, a “growing number” of titles which have created paywalls have been able to maximise revenue from digital content.
At the time of the paywall launch, former Business Day publisher and editor-in-chief Peter Bruce said that he didn’t care how many people subscribed to the newspaper’s online edition.
“Basically it means nothing is for free, that’s all…that’s my bottom line. I don’t care how many people subscribe. It’s gratifying that so many have, but as long as I am not giving away content for free, I’m a happy man,” said Bruce.
Bruce stepped down from his position in March 2014, relinquishing the role of editor to senior associate editor Songezo Zibi.
The former editor maintained that most people visiting the site would not view more than 15 articles a month – which is why the group offered that figure “for free”.
However, the paywall was highly criticised for its high prices – R14.50 a day at launch, which amounted to R5,292 for a year.
BDLive has since launched a cheaper subscription option – a digital-only plan for R175 a month.
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