Revenue Models of Media Organizations A Comparative Study of Domestic and International Media Outlets

Subject Areas : Marketing and business network development

Meysam Ansari ¹ , neda Soleimani ^{2 *} , Ataollah Abtahi ³ , omid arghish ⁴

1 - PhD student in Media Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Cultural and Media Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Cultural and Media Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
4 - Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gachsaran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gachsaran, Iran.

Received: 2024-08-04 Accepted : 2025-12-18 Published : 2024-12-20

Keywords: Media Management, Media Organization, Revenue Model, Comparative Study, Media Economy,

Abstract :

The transformation in information and communication technologies and the emergence of user-driven digital media have led traditional media to face increasing competition over the past two decades. The decline in revenue-generating power for traditional media is a global challenge, and in Iran, the economic sustainability and survival of media organizations is currently one of the most fundamental issues. Under such circumstances, many media outlets have felt the need to develop competitive revenue models to survive in the information age. This study, considering the importance of revenue models for the media economy in the current era, examines and compares media industry revenue models both domestically and internationally. The research design includes a systematic review of domestic and international studies to provide a comprehensive perspective on media revenue models. The findings indicate that in Iran, the main existing revenue models include government funding, advertisement-based revenues, attracting sponsors, online advertising, and the sale of information and data. Among these, government funding and advertisements play a more prominent role. In contrast, international revenue models show greater diversity and, in addition to the aforementioned methods, also include subscription models, content monetization, commissions, sales of virtual goods, account upgrade options, in-app purchases, paywall-based subscriptions, transaction models, syndicated content or service sales, and commission-based sales. Methods such as subscription models, advertising models, and government funding are among the most frequent revenue strategies. However, in Iran, government funding stands out more prominently and is more frequently discussed in the literature. Conversely, in international studies, government funding is mentioned less often, while the subscription model or "media license" is more emphasized.

 

 

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