Nexstar, the local TV giant, is getting into the digital subscription business through its national political news brand The Hill.
The Hill on Wednesday will launch what it is calling The Hill Insider, with exclusive content and access that the company hopes will appeal to political professionals and news junkies alike.
It’s “for people who want to just better understand what’s happening in Washington today, and what it means for tomorrow,” says Justin Eli, senior VP of digital business strategy & product development for Nexstar, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re not trying to be everything to everyone, but wanted to go deeper on what we do today.”
That will include exclusive podcasts and newsletters, and calls with Hill journalists for $5.99 per month. A premium tier for $9.99 per month will tack on an ad-free experience on The Hill’s website, as well as VIP access to Hill events.
“For us, the core value proposition is the ‘and’ component, offering more, so it builds on what we’ve done, and that’s always had a longtime commitment to trusted bipartisan political journalism,” Eli says. “With The Hill Insider, members receive a slew of things. There’s exclusive reporting, premium newsletters, direct access to our journalists through live conversations. They can actually join some of these shows and calls and ask a question, so they are right in the thick of things. There’s additional experiences and benefits around if there’s a an event in D.C., you’ll actually have a kind of VIP if you’re a Hill Insider, you can have access early to set events, better seats, things like that. There’s obviously a better viewing experience online, so fewer or little to no ads on thehill.com.”
