Twitter Blue adds ad-free reading and publisher revenue for US news sites
Twitter has rolled out its subscription offering, which was initially only available in Australia and Canada, to the US.
Twitter Blue has also added a few notable features, including an ad-free news offering and revenue for publishers, which is currently only available for US news sites.
Ad-free articles on Twitter Blue
According to a Twitter spokesperson, every publisher that is a part of Twitter Blue has signed an agreement and integrated Twitter Blue on their sites. A portion of each subscription fee will be distributed to publishers based on the amount of time subscribers spent on sites within the network.
The spokesperson added: “Our goal is that publishers make 50% more per person than they would have made from serving ads to that person. We started off with an early set of US publishers but are looking to expand to other markets soon!”
The ad-free reading experience is available for US-based news sites.
There is also the launch of Twitter Blue Labs, which will allow subscribers access to new features before other users. Currently, the features being tested are longer video uploads and pinned conversations in direct messages.
Another feature added in the roll-out is custom navigation, giving users the ability to customise their navigation bar.
Other features of Twitter Blue which have already been implemented are the Undo Tweet function and top articles.
Twitter Australia acting managing director Angus Keene said: “As one of the first countries to have Twitter Blue, Australia has been instrumental in shaping the Twitter Blue experience. Since launch, we have seen more Aussie users customise and tailor their experience on Twitter, and leverage the undo Tweet functionality. Thanks to our user’s feedback, we’ve been able to build an even bigger and better subscription model, including ad-free reading, the ability to view the most-shared articles in their networks and even more customisable options.
“My personal favourite from today’s update has to be Twitter Labs. Users will now get early access to new features before anyone else, with these features changing regularly depending on what we’re testing. For now, users have the ability to pin conversations to the top of DMs and trial longer video uploads.
“We’re looking forward to receiving more feedback from our Aussie users as we listen, learn, and build out even more Twitter Blue features and tools over the coming months.”
