To Bundle, or not to Bundle: Mags Grapple with iPad Subs

The biggest divide going in magazines’ strategy for the iPad and other tablets is whether to bundle app editions with print subscriptions or sell each medium separately. The bundlers include Time Inc., Conde Nast and Meredith, which want to retain more print subscribers, charge more where possible and avoid making anyone feel nickel-and-dimed. The other side includes Hearst and Bonnier, who believe bundling leaves money on the table and makes digital content seem “free.”

“It’s such a hot topic right now,” said Sharon Sennefelder, managing director for print at Horizon Media. “Nobody knows where it’s going to pan out.”