Flipboard in deal to carry New York Times content

The New York Times announced late today it would collaborate with Flipboard to make the entire newspaper available on the popular social news-reader app.

Beginning Thursday, Times subscribers will have access to articles, videos, photo slideshows, and blogs produced by the newspaper from within Flipboard. Nonsubscribers will be able to read a limited sampling of the newspaper's content.

The partnership is being touted as a first for both companies. It marks the first time the startup has persuaded a large publisher to make its content available on its platform. Indeed, Flipboard says the authentication process and navigation experience was designed specifically for Times' readers.

For the newspaper, the partnership marks the first time its subscribers have been allowed to get full access to its content through a third-party platform.

Flipboard characterized the partnership as a natural marriage of print media and mobile devices.

"There are more and more people reading on mobile devices every day. And it's more important than ever that great content be discoverable, beautiful, and sustainable on these devices," Flipboard CEO Mike McCue said in a statement."With Flipboard, we've tried to create a path to all three -- where publishers can be found, articles and images easily paged through, advertising enjoyed and now subscriber models supported."

Along with news, the app pulls information from Facebook and Twitter accounts, turning friends' updates into an attractive magazine-style presentation of headlines, story blurbs, and photos.

Flipboard, which has hitherto been an iOS-only app, released versions last week for Android phones, as well as Kindle Fire and Nook tablets.