New York Times Restricts Mobile Access to Boost Subscriptions

New York Times Co. will limit the number of free stories that people can read through its mobile software to three articles per day, part of its effort to coax more readers into signing up for online subscriptions.

Beginning on June 27, any mobile user of New York Times applications can view three stories in all sections, blogs and slideshows, the company said today in a statement. Previously, nonsubscribers could read all articles in the “Top News” section, though they couldn’t get any material from other areas.

Times Co., facing an industrywide advertising slump, is relying more heavily on subscription fees. Last year, revenue from subscriptions surpassed ad sales -- turning the typical business model for newspaper publishers on its head.

“They’re trying to make the online product more valuable,” said Edward Atorino, an analyst at Benchmark Co. in New York. “Any step to get more digital subscribers is important because that’s the way the industry’s going as print circulation is going down.”