In an attempt to boost readers, Time Out London is to become a free magazine. Cutting its price from £3.25 it hopes to increase circulation from 55,000 to a targeted 300,000 a week.
More than half of the 300,000 free copies will be handed out by a team of 200 distributors spread across Central London’s underground and mainline rail stations. A significant number will also be available at cultural venues, such as Tate Modern and in coffee shops around the city.
MEC Opinion: It’s not a surprise that Time Out is joining the growing number of magazine and newspaper publishers taking similar steps in order to rejuvenate the press market. Only time will tell whether this approach will prove successful and it will be highly reliant on the publication being able to demand higher advertising revenues off the back of increased distribution. However, agencies will be keen to push back on this and ensure CPTs remain competitive.