Publishers See Higher Traffic to Commerce Sections, but Also Face Affiliate Fee Cuts

As the coronavirus rolls on, media companies that say they have diversified revenues streams are being put to the test.

With in-person events businesses on hold and the global advertising market contracting, publishers with commerce revenues have a slight resilience to the growing economic impacts of the virus. For now at least.

Businesses like The New York Times’ Wirecutter and Future have noted hikes in traffic to commerce content and expect that to translate to revenue. On the flip side, this huge surge in demand can also threaten publishers’ commerce revenue lines as retailers close their affiliate programs and merchants reduce commission rates to zero for products in high demand, like cleaning materials.

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