London Times advertisers are to begin paying the same rate for display advertising in the title's tablet edition as they do in print, writes Dominic Ponsford of the Press Gazette.
Website advertising is typically offered at a fraction the price of print. Advertising rates on page-turning tablet editions have also so far lagged behind.
The move to increase the price charged for tablet ads follows neuroscience research by News UK last year (tracking eye-ball movement and brain activity) which the company said proved tablet edition ads are at least as effective as the print equivalent.
News UK commercial managing director Paul Hayes told Press Gazette: "It's the best research we've done in years. Our proposition is that we have an engaged audience. You can get The Times audience or The Sun audience anywhere, but you won't get them in the context of consuming The Times or The Sun – to get that you have to come through us.
He said that the average time spent on The Sunday Times tablet app last week was 67 minutes and that the average "dwell time" on The Times app is now around 45 minutes. This compares favourably with print.