The Washington Post is offering new subscribers access to meditation and mindfulness service Headspace via a new partnership and promotion.
Starting today, first-time subscribers who pay $70 for a one-year all-access digital subscription to The Washington Post will receive a separate 12-month subscription to Headspace. (An annual Headspace subscription is currently listed on the company’s site at $69.99 a year). Customers can also opt for a monthly WaPo subscription priced at $4 every 4 weeks and will receive 30 days of access to Headspace.
The partnership has potential benefits for both parties. For The Washington Post, the additional value of a Headspace membership could help convert new paying subscribers at a time when consumers are reining in their spending and engaging less with news content. For Headspace, the partnership could help it acquire new customers without hefty advertising costs (assuming no money is changing hands between the pair.) Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed.
News publishers are increasingly looking for ways to broaden their offerings and to provide value to their subscribers beyond the provision of hard news and journalism. The New York Times has seen success with products such as Cooking, Games, and The Athletic, for example, prompting competitors to evaluate how they can offer more value to their audiences.
“Since the pandemic, our readers have been seeking out more advice and tools on how to live a more balanced life. We can’t think of a brand that aligns more with our commitment to wellness and wellbeing than Headspace,” said Michael Ribero, chief subscriptions officer at The Washington Post in a press release.
Via the joint promotion (which WaPo is referring to as a “bundle”) the companies say they’ll also collaborate on content. WaPo subscribers will have access to new guidance videos featuring Washington Post reporter Amanda Morris as part of Headspace’s “The Wake Up,” a daily video show to help members build a mindful morning routine by prompting them to take a step back from hustle culture. And later this month, Washington Post columnist Gretchen Reynolds will join Headspace’s popular daily mindfulness podcast, Radio Headspace, as a guest host and share her insights on wellness with Headspace members around the globe.