Publishers and artificial-intelligence companies are moving toward a new business model: content marketplaces designed to formalize and monetize how journalism is used to train and power AI tools, The Wall Street Journal writes.
Rather than relying solely on one-off licensing deals or litigation, media companies are increasingly turning to platforms that match publishers with AI buyers at scale. Tech giants including Microsoft and Amazon are helping build these marketplaces, betting they can streamline pricing, permissions and payments while expanding access to trusted content.
The push reflects both opportunity and pressure.
Major publishers have already secured lucrative licensing agreements worth tens of millions annually, but smaller outlets often lack the leverage to do the same. Marketplaces promise a more level playing field, allowing publishers to set their own terms based on factors like freshness or content type.
Meanwhile, companies such as Factiva, Cloudflare and Tollbit are emerging as gatekeepers, combining content licensing with tools that block or charge AI bots for unauthorized access. As generative AI adoption accelerates, publishers see marketplaces as a potential path to sustainable revenue—and a clearer valuation of journalism in the AI era.
Read the full story from The Wall Street Journal.
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