Google strikes cut-price deals with digital publishers amid regulatory delays
The tech giant has struck deals with Schwartz Media, Mamamia, Australian Community Media and Junkee, among others. But some have seen their deal values shrink.
Google has quietly struck new deals with a string of digital and independent publishers, in some cases on significantly reduced terms, as Labor prepares to resume work on fresh laws aimed at forcing tech firms to pay for news.
The Alphabet-owned advertising, search and artificial intelligence giant has squared away a series of one-year deals with news publishers, according to sources familiar with the agreements, amid ongoing delays to Labor’s proposed news bargaining incentive.
The one-year terms represent a significant reduction on Google’s previous publisher deals, many of which were struck over three- or five-year periods.
Google has reached agreements this year with Schwartz Media, publisher of The Saturday Paper and The Monthly, and Mamamia, as well as with Yahoo, Australian Community Media, Crikey publisher Private Media, and youth publisher Junkee.
