Google to pay News Corp to distribute content in global deal

The News Corp media conglomerate said Wednesday it has reached a deal for Google to pay for news content of its newspapers shared on the search giant’s News Showcase. 

The three-year agreement with News Corp includes the development of a subscription platform, the sharing of ad revenue through Google’s ad technology services, and “meaningful investments” in video journalism by YouTube. 

News Corp’s announcement did not share the financial details of the agreement, and a spokesperson for Google declined to share the details when asked. 

Robert Thomson, chief executive of News Corp, said in a statement that the deal would have “a positive impact on journalism around the globe as we have firmly established that there should be a premium for premium journalism.”

Google’s President of Global Partnerships Don Harrison said in a statement the company has now partnered “with over 500 publications around the world, demonstrating the value this product can bring to our news partners and readers everywhere. We hope to announce even more partnerships soon.”

The deal comes as Google faces an Australian proposal that would force it and other tech giants to pay publishers for news content. Google has pushed back on the proposal, threatening to pull its services from Australia, but over the weekend the Silicon Valley giant struck a deal with Australian-based Seven West Media to pay for its content to be displayed in the News Showcase. 

News Corp, a New York-based company owned by Australian-born media mogul Rupert Murdoch, said its global publications joining the Google News Showcase include The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and the New York Post. 

In the United Kingdom, The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times will be part of the deal, and in Australia it will include The Australian, news.com.au, Sky News and multiple “metropolitan and local tiles.”