The deal will see Meta train its AI tools using content from News Corp publications, which ultimately could present more opportunities for advertisers.
Meta has signed a multi-year licensing deal with News Corp, worth up to $50m a year.
The deal will allow Meta to use content from its US and UK publications – including The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news – to train its artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Meta users will also be able to access content from its various titles including, The Sun, The Times and the New York Post, through these AI tools.
Robert Thomson, chief executive of News Corp, described the landmark deal, which is to run for at least three years, as “horizontal”, adding that “we’re essentially an input company”.
He told delegates at a Morgan Stanley tech conference in San Francisco earlier this week: “The great threat in the age of AI is going to be to what you might call output companies. We’re an input in the way that semiconductors are an input, in the way that datacentres are an input, in the way that energy is an input.
“You look at breaking news, you look at unique real estate information.”
Thomson added that the Murdoch-owned media company is also in other negotiations.
News Corp signed a similar content deal with OpenAI in 2025, reported to be worth more than $250m over five years.
Meta also forged similar AI content licensing deals with other media companies including People Inc, USA Today, CNN and Fox News. Terms of those deals have not been disclosed.
Why it matters for marketers
These licensing deals signal a major shift in how big tech are operating their AI models, placing an importance on high-quality and verified content.
For marketers it presents more advertising opportunities in a trusted and brand-safe environment.
With the industry moving away from the traditional search and click-through models, Meta’s move to cite sources and provide links to publisher sites within AI responses, could mean that advertisers benefit from more engaged users.
