• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, January 27, 2016

Apple is preparing to bring content from subscription publications to its News app, allowing subscribers to access paid content directly through the news service. That means they won't have to visit the publisher’s app or Web site, according to Reuters.

The app will enable publishers to maintain paywalls, while taking advantage of the higher profile and increased reach offered by Apple News.

Previously, Apple had been helping publishers recruit new subscribers by sharing certain content or excerpts of content for free, with an invitation to visit the Web site or app to become a subscriber. It will continue to offer these services.

Now, by allowing existing subscribers to log in and consume content on the platform itself, Apple News will be able to gather additional usage data which publishers can use to target advertising and their own marketing efforts.

The new service appears to be intended to give Apple News a competitive advantage over rivals like Facebook Instant Articles as they woo publishers, which stand to benefit from access to the tech platforms’ huge potential audiences. But publishers are also leery of giving away too much control over their own relationships with consumers.

It remains unclear whether Apple will enable subscription sales through Apple News, and if so, whether it will demand a revenue split from those sales.

The move comes amid a reshuffling of Apple’s mobile businesses, including moves to hand publishers more control over their ad operations.

Last week, the tech giant announced will shutter its iAd App Network at the end of June no longer accept new apps into the network. Advertising campaigns may continue to run and publishers can earn advertising revenue through June 30.

Apple is shuttering its iAd sales and creation operations, but will continue to offer the iAd service to publishers through an automated platform.