Apple Watch Gets Another Media App: The Economist

The Economist -- a dense, erudite weekly magazine based in London -- is opening up shop on Apple Watch, where subscribers to the magazine's digital edition will be able to listen to Economist articles. In a statement this morning, the magazine said: "Subscribers to The Economist app will be able to control playback of the audio edition using the newly launched Apple Watch. These functions include the ability to play, pause, skip ahead to the next track, rewind for 15 seconds, modify playback speed, and change to a different weekly edition." The Economist's audio edition -- which is read with a charming British accent, naturally -- is already available on other devices. (German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly listens to the digital edition.) Advertising will not be incorporated in the Watch app, according to an Economist spokeswoman. The launch on Apple Watch might not represent a large audience grab for The Economist, but it does give the 171-year-old magazine first-mover status at a time when it's facing competition from digital insurgents like Quartz and LinkedIn. The slate of publishers on Apple Watch currently includes just The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, although several other media companies are developing apps. (This Fortune magazine article rounds up all the apps on the Watch.)

Apple Watch Gets Another Media App: The Economist

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