New York Times rolls out Kindle DX device-subscription offer

Back when Amazon.com unveiled its large-screen Kindle DX reader in May, Amazon announced that the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Washington Post would offer the device at a reduced price to readers who live outside home delivery areas and who sign up for long-term subscriptions on Kindle. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was joined on stage by New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger -- signaling the Times' apparent enthusiasm for the partnership. For months after that, though, nothing happened, leading some to speculate about a snag in the deal. But lo and behold, the Times is now rolling out the Kindle DX offer. The Columbia Journalism Review spotted a Times e-mail offering a combined one-year Kindle subscription to the newspaper and a Kindle DX reader and cover for a $200 discount.

The total cost of the package is $499. Since the Kindle DX price tag is $489, people who take the Times up on the offer are essentially getting a one-year subscription for free. Amazon typically takes a hefty chunk of revenue for Kindle subscriptions, so this may not be a big sales boost for the Times, but may help bring some former subscribers back into the fold.

Amazon and the Times didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Update: New York Times spokeswoman Diane McNulty confirmed the Kindle DX offer and said it started the week of Sept. 28. She said the Boston Globe (which is owned by the Times) is making a similar offer.

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About Eric Engleman

ERIC ENGLEMAN is senior technology staff writer for TechFlash and the Puget Sound Business Journal, covering online retail giant Amazon.com. Engleman tracks Amazon's increasingly complex business, spanning ecommerce, Kindle, cloud computing, and more. He's been covering technology and other industries for the Business Journal since 2003.

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