Nook Subscribers Get Free Access to New York Times Online

Within the past two weeks, both Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble have formed partnerships with the New York Times, providing people who subscribe to the paper through their respective eReaders with free access to the publication’s website.

The New York Times recently established an expensive pay-wall which limits the number of articles a reader can view on their website without paying a fee. While the move is controversial and many are questioning if the strategy will pay off in the long-run, there’s a clear opportunity for publications to develop content sharing relations with eReader manufacturers.

The agreement with Barnes and Noble was announced earlier today. The partnership allows Nook owners who subscribe to the New York Times through the Nook Newsstand free access to the paper’s website. The cost for the service will match Amazon’s price tag: $20 a month.

There’s one clear benefit here for consumers – if more publications choose to limit the amount of content available online for free, there’s a good chance they’ll have similar arrangements with eReaders. This will prove beneficial for the many Nook and Kindle owners who enjoy reading news websites off the device as well.