USA Today has struck a deal with Marriott International, Inc., in which the hotel company is underwriting USA Today‘s launch of its iPad app. While the full terms of the deal haven’t been revealed, it’s likely that the iPad version of USA Today will be free for a limited time thanks to the sponsorship (and ads) from Marriott before the paper moves on to a paid subscription model. MediaPost writes:
Content providers may be circumspect about what to do with the coming iPad tablet. Not USA Today, which has secured a rather un-Internet-like, dual revenue stream as it debuts.
The paper will employ a subscription model, while a deal with Marriott has the hotel chain funding its iPad presence from day one. The sponsorship will last for the first four months after the device’s April debut.
It’s unclear what Marriott’s relationship will involve, such as inventory on the USA Today locale or other benefits. Efforts to contact the paper’s parent Gannett and Marriott were not successful Friday.
But Marriott’s underwriting through July 4 will “do a lot to get … our designs in front of many, many people,” according to David Hunke, USA Today’s president and publisher.
USA Today first demoed their planned iPad app to participants attending the 2010 E-reader Symposium in Missouri.