Introduction: Magzter, the world’s largest self-service, cross-platform digital newsstand, is positioning its Smart Reading Zones as a potentially significant new non-aeronautical revenue stream for airport companies, with a positive impact for passenger experience.
In this interview with our Senior Business Editor Mark Lane, Magzter Global Head of Content and B2B Scott Verchin explains how the ‘Netflix of magazines and newspapers’ – as the platform is often described – is using geo-fenced technology to transform terminals into on-demand reading hubs, blending content, convenience and commercial opportunity.
USA/INTERNATIONAL. As airports worldwide sharpen their focus on passenger experience and sustainability, digital content platforms are becoming increasingly popular in the travel hub space.
One of the most compelling propositions, which includes a potentially significant non-aeronautical revenue component, comes from Magzter, the world’s largest self-service, cross-platform digital newsstand.
The New York-headquartered company believes now is a compelling time for airports to rethink how travellers consume editorial content.
Founded in 2011, Magzter today counts more than 88 million users globally, offering thousands of magazines and newspapers across 40+ categories and 60+ languages. The company’s Magzter GOLD subscription gives users unlimited access to more than 10,000 titles to read on their smartphones, tablets and desktop computers.
A powerful platform
But it is Magzter’s Smart Reading Zone technology that is attracting growing attention from the airport commercial community.
Speaking to The Moodie Davitt Report, Magzter Global Head of Content and B2B Scott Verchin says the concept is simple but powerful.
“The easiest way to explain Magzter to people outside the business is to compare it to Spotify or Netflix, but applied to magazines and newspapers,” he explains. “You pay a monthly subscription fee, and you can read thousands of titles on whatever device you choose. That’s our consumer business. What’s really interesting for airports is our B2B Smart Reading Zone.”
Magzter Smart Reading Zones use geo-fencing satellite technology to turn any physical location into a digital reading hub. Passengers inside the zone can instantly access thousands of premium magazines and newspapers by scanning a QR code, without needing to purchase individual titles.
Verchin believes airports are a natural fit. “Think about the decline of print in terminals,” he says. “Hudson News, WHSmith, Relay – there used to be hundreds of magazines in those stores. People picked them up for the flight.
“Today, travellers want less to carry, less paper and more choice on their phones. Our idea is that you’re in the terminal, you scan a QR code, enter an email address, and suddenly you have free access to a huge global library.”
Magzter has already deployed Smart Reading Zones at major airports in Dubai, Bahrain, Colombo and Montevideo, but sees significant untapped potential globally. “We really think this speaks directly to the passenger experience,” Verchin says. “It also aligns very well with sustainability messaging, which airports and airlines are heavily focused on.”
Localisation
He adds that content localisation is another advantage. “If you’re flying from JFK to Mumbai, you may want Indian content. If you’re heading to Madrid, Spanish titles. Print can’t do that easily. Digital can, and we already have the depth of content across regions.”
Crucially for airport operators, the Smart Reading Zone is not just an amenity play. Verchin outlines a flexible commercial model that can generate incremental non-aeronautical revenue.
“This can be purely an experience play, or it can be revenue-generating, or a hybrid,” he says. “For example, a passenger accesses Magzter at a participating airport, downloads content for their flight, and 24 hours later receives an offer to subscribe at a discounted rate. That upsell becomes a revenue share between Magzter and the airport.”
He is realistic about scale. “Is this going to hugely impact airport revenues? No. But it’s another revenue stream layered on top of an experience benefit.”
Importantly, Verchin is keen to stress that Magzter does not seek to undermine airports’ existing newsstand retail partners.
“We’re very sensitive to not cannibalising print sales from WHSmith or Hudson, for example,” he notes. “One idea is to curate the experience so that the titles sold in-store are excluded digitally, while the rest of our portfolio remains available. We’re open to creative solutions and even working directly with retailers.”
Promotion within the airport environment can take multiple forms. “If the airport owns its wifi network, that’s a natural touchpoint,” Verchin explains. “You can promote it at login, through QR codes in the terminal, via newsletters, social media, or even pre-travel communications. We don’t dictate how airports do it, but obviously, the more it’s promoted, the more usage and potential revenue you’ll see.”
Frictionless deployment
From a technical standpoint, deployment is frictionless. “We do everything remotely,” says Verchin. “There’s no wiring, no drilling, no engineers. We set the coordinates, and the zone is live. If an airport wants to cover one terminal or several, that’s entirely possible. It’s contactless and fast.”
Asked how Magzter differentiates itself from rival platforms, Verchin points to content mix and geographic strength. “Our roots are in magazines, whereas others started with newspapers. We now have both, including titles like The Guardian, The Washington Post and The LA Times, but our magazine portfolio is particularly strong.
“Regionally, we’re very strong in Asia, the Middle East, India, Africa and Latin America, which matters a lot for international hubs.”
Pricing, he insists, is designed to be accessible. “We’re not trying to break anyone’s bank,” Verchin says. “There’s no fixed menu because every airport is different, but this is not a massive expenditure. We want airports to commit, promote it and see value from it.”
Are trials actively encouraged? “Absolutely,” he confirms. “We can do six-month pilots, share data on downloads, engagement and revenue, and evaluate properly. We also recommend private labelling it under the airport’s brand. Airports are the brand passengers trust.”
Looking ahead, Verchin reveals Magzter is also exploring sponsorship models that could help airports underwrite costs. “There’s an opportunity for brands to sponsor the experience – whether that’s a retailer, a coffee brand or another partner – creating impressions and exposure within the reading environment.”
As airports compete ever harder for passenger loyalty, dwell time and discretionary spend, Magzter’s proposition sits squarely at the intersection of digital engagement, sustainability and incremental revenue. As Verchin puts it, “Everybody is on their smartphone. This is simply a smarter way to engage them, while giving airports something back in return.” ✈
