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Amazon inks tablet deal with publishers, report says

The upcoming Amazon tablet will support digital versions of magazines from Hearst, Conde Nast, and Meredith, a new report claims.

Don Reisinger
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Don Reisinger
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Magazines are coming to the Amazon tablet, according to a report.
Magazines are coming to the Amazon tablet, according to a report. Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

The upcoming Amazon tablet will support digital versions of magazines from several prominent publishers, a new report claims.

Citing "industry sources," All Things Digital is reporting today that when Amazon shows off its tablet tomorrow, it will also announce a partnership with Conde Nast, Hearst, and Meredith that will see those companies bring digital versions of their magazines to the device. However, Time Warner-owned Time magazine will not be supported on the device, AllThingsD claims.

Amazon is expected to unveil its new tablet at a press event in New York tomorrow. The latest rumors suggest the slate will come with a 7-inch display and run Google's Android operating system. A bigger version of the tablet, also running Android, is expected to be unveiled early next year.

Magazine publishers have viewed tablets as the next big frontier for their businesses, and a host of publishers, including News Corp., Time Warner, and others, have brought their content to Apple's iPad in the hopes of capitalizing on that device's growing user base.

Related stories:
Time Inc., Apple reach deal on iPad subscriptions
New Yorker for iPad gets in-app subscriptions
Apple changes course on in-app subscription policy

The road to bringing digital content to the iPad has been rough. Apple has required that publishers share 30 percent of the revenue they generate from in-app subscriptions. Some companies hoping to get around that requirement have offered free iPad editions of their publications to print subscribers. Time announced such a deal in May, so it wouldn't need to pay Apple 30 percent of its subscription revenue.

According to AllThingsD, those publishers won't find a better deal with Amazon. The publication's sources say the publishers have agreed to give Amazon 30 percent of the revenue they generate from their apps, though in some cases, Amazon might take more or less, depending on the arrangement.

So why were publishers so quick to ink deals with Amazon? According to one that spoke with AllThingsD, it has everything to do with Amazon's "marketing and ease of use," adding that it is "very optimistic" about its prospects of success on the e-commerce giant's tablet.

Amazon did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment on the AllThingsD report.