Thank you to Philips for sponsoring the select section of the New York Times and providing free access to skin flints like me. The Select section is a subscription wall around some of the more interesting op-ed and analysis pieces done by the paper.
The Economist and Salon provides access through a similar arrangement with different sponsors. It makes you value the content but still have access via sponsored day pass system and subscribers still feel they have value-for-money as they have a hassle and ad-free experience. The sponsorship runs from today through to November 12.
The New York Times claims that this is a way of increasing their subscriber base. My thoughts are that it allows the New York Times to increase its visibitility and relevance to the zeitgest and allows the company to experiment with a more progressive business model. Kudos to Reuters - Philips sponsors free New York Times Web access
