Apple to Cut Commissions for Publishers That Use Its New File Format

Apple is cutting the commission rate of in-app subscriptions to 15% from 30% under the News Partner Program, it said Thursday. Subscription news organizations previously had to wait a year for the commission to fall to 15%. The program is for subscription news publications that provide their content to Apple News in Apple News Format (ANF), said the company. Publishers’ apps must be available on the App Store and allow users to buy auto-renewable subscriptions through the company's in-app purchase system. To qualify for the 15% commission, the publisher’s app has to be used to deliver “original, professionally authored” news content, it said. ANF supports advertising; publishers keep 100% of the revenue from what they sell within Apple News, it said.