Meta signed a multimillion-dollar AI licensing deal with News Corp to use content from The Wall Street Journal and other brands for chatbot responses and model training.
The agreement allows Meta AI to access News Corp content for three years, with Meta paying up to $50 million annually, according to The Wall Street Journal. This deal expands Meta’s recent efforts to license news content for AI development.
News Corp confirmed the agreement but did not disclose specific terms. The media conglomerate previously signed a five-year licensing deal with OpenAI valued at approximately $250 million.
News Corp CEO Robert Thomson described the company’s approach as a “woo and a sue” strategy. “We’ll woo you. We’d like you to be our partner,” Thomson said at Morgan Stanley’s TMT conference. “But if you’re stealing our stuff, we are going to sue you.”
Thomson stated that News Corp is in advanced negotiations with other parties for similar content licensing arrangements. The company seeks partnerships with willing companies while pursuing legal action against those scraping content without permission.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the agreement and noted the company has been reorganizing its AI teams to create its next model. Meta has signed multi-year licensing deals with USA Today, People, CNN, Fox News, and other outlets in recent months.
Meta stated that integrating more news sources aims to improve Meta AI’s ability to deliver timely, relevant content with diverse viewpoints.
News Corp owns The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and other publications in the US and UK.
