This week’s edition of Five on Friday features contributions, comics and promotional pricing. Google launches a Reader Revenue Manager to allow publishers to accept subscriptions or contributions for content, and YouTube shares its promotional pricing for the NFL Sunday Ticket. We’ve also got Amazon’s first quarter operational highlights, the shuttering of the Marvel Comics app, and top subscription jobs for those considering a move.

Google launches Reader Revenue Manager

Google has quietly launched new tools to allow publishers to help monetize their content via subscription. The new product, Reader Revenue Manager, is meant to help publishers put a paywall on their content more easily or allow readers to make monetary contributions.

Through the tool, creators can pick the revenue model that best fits their content and allow for better reader conversion. There are no surprise fees, the Reader Revenue Manager landing page said. There are two options for publishers: subscriptions and contributions. The Subscription option is ideal for publishers that would like to limit access to some of their content via paywall or would like to lock all of it behind a paywall.

The Contributions option is better suited for publishers whose content is normally free, but readers can opt-in to pay what they would like. For contributions, publishers can give readers the option for one-time or recurring payments, SE Round Table reported. Publishers can change payment options at any time.

Le Monde, a featured creator on the Reader Revenue Manager landing page, shared that the use of the tool led to a 45% average increase in digital subscriptions in the last twelve months. With that increase, 32% of all new subscribers opted to subscribe with Google.

With the new feature, publishers can more easily drive traffic to their brand by highlighting their content across search engines. However, it is not clear if being a part of this program means that Google is more likely to push an item more in search engines. Publishers also more easily access audience data, with information that readers opt-in to share. To keep that information safe, Google said the user data is private, secure and won’t be processed by Google.

Google also launched a “Subscribed Content” report for publishers that provides more insights on subscriber traffic and data. With this information, publishers are also able to fix any data issues, Search Engine Journal reported. Google hopes to support publishers in understanding and engaging with their audiences using Google’s tools.

YouTube announces price for NFL Sunday Ticket

After a long wait, YouTube TV has finally shared their pricing for their NFL Sunday Ticket packages. YouTube is offering bundles with both YouTube TV and NFL RedZone. Currently, YouTube’s promotional pricing ends June 6. Football fans who sign up by that date can save up to $100. The plans are as follows:

• NFL Sunday Ticket + YouTube TV – $249 ($349 after offer ends)
• NFL Sunday Ticket + NFL RedZone + YouTube TV – $289 ($389 after offer ends)
• NFL Sunday Ticket – $349 ($449 after offer ends)
• NFL Sunday Ticket + NFL RedZone – $389 ($489 after offer ends)

Bundles with YouTube TV will also have to pay an additional $72.99 per month for YouTube TV. If a customer wants to purchase the bundle, they must continue to keep their active YouTube TV subscription through the duration of the season. However, a YouTube TV membership is not required to access NFL Sunday ticket.

YouTube’s price for Sunday Ticket is close to what it was billed as before, The Verge shared. DirecTV billed customers $293.94 for the base plan, and $395.99 for their Fantasy Zone channel that included RedZone.

Previously, the NFL shared that they were eyeing cheaper packages for the offering, with many fans getting excited about the possibility of signing up for just a single team. However, what is currently being offered may not be what is always offered. Christian Oestlien of YouTube shared that both parties were researching what fans would think was exciting and what they would want to offer in the future, The Athletic shared.

YouTube is also promising additional features like the ability to view key plays in a game, NFL Fantasy data, real-time stats, and an ability to hide spoilers on the app, TechCrunch reported.

“Users who subscribe through Primetime channels will see live NFL games featured prominently in their feeds, so they can quickly jump into the action on game days, directly on YouTube. We are also working on adding shopping integrations so viewers can easily buy merchandise to support their teams, and social features that YouTube users are already familiar with, like chat, polls, and more,” YouTube said.

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Amazon first quarter operational highlights

Earlier this week, we shared Amazon’s financial highlights – a slight increase in revenue and a big decrease in net income and diluted earnings per share. Today, we’ll share some of Amazon’s operational highlights. Of course, the big news is that the third round of layoffs has begun. On the positive side, Amazon shared the following:

• Nearly 26 million customers ordered items using same-day delivery, a 50% increase compared to last year.
• Amazon launched Reviews from Amazon to help Buy with Prime merchants display customer ratings and reviews from Amazon.com within their own online stores.
• Amazon completed the acquisition of One Medical, a primary care company that offers 24/7 virtual care and in-office visits. One Medical uses a membership mode. New customers can sign up at the discounted rate of $144 for the first year, a savings of $55.
• On November 24, Prime Video will present the first-ever, exclusive “Black Friday” NFL game. It will be free to stream, even for non-Prime members.
• The company set box office records with the MGM premiere of Creed III, starring Michael B. Jordan. The movie grossed $100.4 million globally during opening weekend.
• Amazon announced plans to spend $200 million on safety technology for their U.S. transportation network.
• The company hit a 1 billion milestone of packages handled by robotic system Robin used in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
• Amazon was named the number 2 on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list for the seventh straight year.

Marvel Comics app to shut down June 2

Two weeks ago, Marvel announced that the Marvel Comics app, operated by Comixology, will be shut down on June 2, 2023. The ability to purchase digital comics was removed on May 2. Previously purchased digital content will be available in the Marvel Unlimited app without a subscription in the “My Library” tab. iOS users will need to link the Marvel Comics app to a Marvel account to continue to access their purchased digital content before June 2. Android users already have a Marvel account and can skip this step.

Marvel Unlimited is Marvel’s subscription app which has a content library with more than 30,000 digital comics with new titles added each week for paid subscribers. Older content is added each Thursday to round out Marvel’s back catalog. Marvel Unlimited is currently offering a promotional deal for new subscribers – $5 a month for the first year with the code UNLIMITED – through June 30. The pricing is available on monthly memberships only. The regular price is $9.99 a month. Marvel Unlimited also offers an annual plan at $69 a year and annual plus plan for $99 a year, which includes a Marvel Unlimited subscripiton plus an exclusive membership kit.

LinkedIn: Top Subscription Jobs

Finance Lead – Instant Ink High Growth Subscription Business
HP
Vancouver, WA (Hybrid)

HP Instant Ink (II), the flagship subscription service offered by HP is a top strategic business priority and is currently being offered in 38+ countries around the globe. The II finance team manages all aspects of the P&L and works very closely with business partners. This role will support a wide variety of activities in a dynamic, creative, and exciting environment and will allow for broad contribution, knowledge development, and continued career growth. As a Lead Finance Analyst, the candidate will provide counsel, consult and drive financial and business analysis to ensure objectives of the Instant Ink business are met. Additionally, the Lead Analyst will develop key business strategies, financial models and insights to inform the business on major investments, initiatives and programs will have a significant impact on the future roadmap and financial projections of the group. Read more.

STAT – Newsletter Strategist
Boston Globe Media
Boston, MA (Hybrid)

STAT is seeking an enterprising and enthusiastic newsletter strategist and journalist to oversee its thriving line of newsletters. The strategist will work across our editorial, product, and business teams to grow and sharpen STAT’s newsletter portfolio. This is an entrepreneurial role and a pivotal one for STAT — this person will be keen to come up with ambitious new ways to build up our readership, and to use newsletters to advance STAT’s editorial and business goals. STAT’s headquarters is in downtown Boston. However, for this role, we will consider candidates who are based anywhere in the United States. The newsletter strategist will report to a senior editor, and will have frequent contact with the business and product teams, including the chief operating officer. Read more.

Senior Manager, Digital Product Management
SiriusXM
North Carolina, US (Remote)

SiriusXM is hiring a Senior Manager, Product Management to join our Product Management team, focusing on customer Help/FAQs, Identity and Retention products. This team member will work on the evolution of SiriusXM’s digital properties with the goal of optimizing the customer experience and improving the ease at which a customer can self-service and conduct retention functions via digital channels. Areas of focus will include FAQs/knowledgebase, identity/credentialing, payments, cancel/saves, and other assigned products. The Senior Manager, Product Management will be an integral part of the team charged with informing and evaluating the next generation of the digital experience for siriusxm.com to drive innovation and improvements to help digital penetration and call deflection. Read more.

Principal of SEO
FINN
New York, NY (Hybrid)

As Principal Content & SEO, you play a crucial role in helping people discover FINN through search engines and content across multiple markets, domains and languages. You will drive organic customer acquisition strategies and collaborate with teams across the company to implement initiatives. You not only thrive on creating high-quality and outstanding content, but guiding world class growth teams that deliver tangible results. You work closely with product, design and engineering to drive customer experience and growth. This position can be on onsite in either our Munich or NYC HQ. We also welcome fully remote employees for our German team, so long as they are located within a 3 hour time difference of Munich. At this time, we are not accepting fully remote candidates for our US team. Read more.

Director, US Finance, Artist & Fan Experiences
Warner Music Group
New York, NY (Hybrid)

At Warner Music Group, we’re a global collective of music makers and music lovers, tech innovators and inspired entrepreneurs, game-changing creatives and passionate team members. Here, we know that each talent makes our collective bolder and brighter. We are guided by four core principles that underpin everything we do across all our diverse businesses: Music is Everything: Music is our passion, and we can never get enough. Tastes, trends, and tech will change, but great artists and songwriters will always be our driving force. Global Growth, Local Expertise: Music is a global language. Through communication and collaboration, our success can come from anywhere and translate everywhere. Innovation and Insight: Pushing the boundaries requires the best information and the boldest imagination. We use both to create the future. Empowered by People: Like the artists we serve and the music they make, our differences make us stronger. This is a place where every talent can belong and build a career. Read more.

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