These media outlets that have signed deals with AIs

At a time when AI assistants are redefining information search, some titles are partnering with large language models to secure their content and reach new audiences.

The new Le Monde × Perplexity deal

On May 14, 2025, Le Monde entered into a multi-year partnership with Perplexity.ai, specialist in augmented search engineThis agreement differs from the one signed in March 2024 with OpenAI:

• Limited to use in responses (output) : Le Monde's articles serve as a basis to generate answers, without training the model.
• Ad revenue sharing : compensation modeled on the principle of related rights, linked to the AI queries that use the content.
• Traceability guaranteed : each answer includes a direct link to the source article, reinforcing your confidence in the reliability of the information.
• Access to Sonar : an internal tool, accessible on LeMonde.fr and via the app, that answers your questions in natural language by drawing exclusively on the newspaper's editorial content. Deployment is planned for June 2025.

If you already use Perplexity, you will therefore recognize a simple interface and contextualized search, designed for those looking for precise information without wasting time.

The real user-side question for Perplexity is whether these media will gain additional visibility and the transparency provided by the AIs about those results. Time will tell.

Other outlets have already signed with some platforms

Several publishers have followed suit, forming alliances to control the use of their archives and to monetize their AI audience:

• Der Spiegel, El País (Prisa Media) and Time Magazine have opened their Perplexity databases, with a pay-per-click sharing model.
• Los Angeles Times and The Independent participate in a source transparency program that guarantees the systematic citation of consulted articles.
• Springer provides OpenAI with scientific excerpts via an experimental access channel intended for universities and research centers.
• Numerama, a French pioneer outside major groups, has integrated with Perplexity using a compensation system proportional to the volume of articles used.

Why sign such partnerships for a news outlet?

Wondering about the motivations behind these agreements? As a media outlet, at Abondance, we see several obvious issues that converge in the case of the Le Monde x Perplexity partnership:

1. Use of Le Monde's content in Perplexity

• enhanced responses : When Perplexity users ask a question, the AI engine will be able to rely on Le Monde's articles to craft its answers. A direct link to the source article will be systematically included in the generated response, allowing users to trace back to the source and ensuring the media's visibility.
• no LLM training : unlike the agreement with OpenAI, Le Monde's content will not be used to train Perplexity's language model. It will be used solely as sources when generating responses (output), which limits the risk of uncontrolled reuse of the content.

2. Remuneration and copyright

• revenue sharing : the agreement provides remuneration for Le Monde, treated as "neighbouring rights" of copyright, as well as a share of advertising revenues generated by the use of its articles in Perplexity.
• rights protection : Le Monde retains control of its content and ensures that Perplexity's use respects copyright and fairly compensates publishers.

3. Increased visibility and audience

• a new audience : This partnership aims to attract a new generation of readers, notably those who already heavily use AI search engines, and to increase the visibility of Le Monde's English edition.
• personalized recommendations : Thanks to AI, readers will receive article recommendations tailored to their interests, thereby improving their reading experience directly on Le Monde's site.

At a time when the funding and profitability of media, in the broad sense, are at the heart of debates, these partnerships will allow the media involved to test a new acquisition source and a new revenue model.

The article "These media outlets that have signed deals with AIs" was published on the site Abondance.