Six months ago we reviewed the Times’ “Watching” (somewhat breathlessly, we admit) in no small part because the FT was simultaneously testing its own curated list of other-sourced headlines, “Antenna”. Yes, that sort of thing gets us going. So it was a big deal at the Revenue Lab when the Times raised its gloves in victory, claiming product-success. “Watching” links are out-performing links to the Times' own stories, and readers who click-out to read a non-Times story return often. That makes for a bankable product that can be monetized with both reader-revenue and sponsorship.

Congratulations to the New York Times product leadership for succeeding in a bold product move. “Watching” has always lived high on the home page, and proffered content, only curated not originated, by Times’ editors. Regardless of its real estate, which of course matters less and less with so much lateral traffic from search & social, the idea of curated aggregation seems solid and exciting (and well primed from a “Watching” mobile feed/app/site/partnership – we’re watching for that next….)

Thank you to Jeremy Barr for his Capital article “Six months of front-page aggregation for the Times.”