| According to Mediaweek, US based Sporting News has found a way around Apple's resistance to magazine subscriptions. The company this week rolled out Sporting News Today App for iPad, an application designed to expand the distribution of Sporting News daily newsletter product to the iPad
Unlike with many consumer magazine applications, iPad users will be able to purchase a subscription of the Sporting News Today App, which was built using Zinio's Unity technology. To date, Apple has disallowed magazine companies from selling subscriptions directly to consumers via the iPad.
Zinio is one of handful of companies-such as Texterity--which reproduce magazines digitally and distribute them via the Web, typically through PDF files. Its model pre-dates the iPad and the current wave of tablet/e-reading devices.
Since Zinio's technology is designed to create digital magazines that look like print magazines, its interactivity and design will likely be limited on the iPad. However, according to Sporting News executives, the app is designed to take advantage of the iPad's touch screen, and more interactive features are on the way, including an interactive scoreboard.
Sporting News has created a competitive edge with its subscription offering and rivals, including Sports Illustrated, will be placed in catch up mode.
Australian based company Realview also found a way around the Apple's strict subscription policy when it launched the New Yorker iPad version earlier this year. "Those who have a print or digital subscription can get access to the complete New Yorker archive using the Realview iPad web based viewer," stated Realviews Managing Director, Richard Lindley.
On the 29th July this year Realview confirmed over 30,000 editions from over 2000 publications have now migrated through them, to the Apple iPad.
Source: Mediaweek and Publishing Edge
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