amynicole – Perplexity is introducing a new revenue-sharing plan aimed at compensating publishers each time its AI tools use their content to answer user questions. According to The Wall Street Journal, the program launches alongside a $5 per month Comet Plus subscription. This subscription supports the initiative and provides users with access to premium content from select, trusted publishers and journalists.
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Comet Plus is tied directly to the company’s Comet Agent, which operates within the Comet web browser. The agent acts autonomously on users’ behalf, for instance, by scanning calendars and suggesting relevant articles. Perplexity refers to this as “agent traffic,” distinct from the “indexed traffic” created when users directly search for recent news or trends. The new plan is designed to monetize this type of traffic, which current publisher deals typically overlook.
Perplexity claims it will share 80 percent of Comet Plus revenue with participating publishers. The remaining 20 percent covers infrastructure costs such as compute. A $42.5 million revenue pool will initially fund the program, providing payouts even as the subscription base grows. Pro and Max subscribers will automatically contribute to this pool, as Comet Plus is now part of their plan.
While the model appears generous—$4 from each $5 subscription going to content creators—questions remain. Most publications charge far more for full access, and it’s unclear whether they will agree to license full libraries for such a low return. Additionally, Perplexity has not clarified whether this new plan replaces its existing Publisher Program. Which shares advertising revenue based on summary traffic.
A Strategy to Repair Publisher Relationships and Promote Agentic Browsing
This new approach likely stems from past criticism aimed at Perplexity for allegedly plagiarizing content. The company now appears to be courting goodwill from publishers to legitimize its AI-generated content services. To make its agentic browser successful, Perplexity needs buy-in from content creators who supply the text, images, and videos that its agents rely on.
The potential appeal of the program depends on scale. If Comet Plus attracts a large subscriber base, the shared revenue could become meaningful for publishers. However, if adoption is slow, the returns may be too modest to justify participation. Additionally, the model assumes publishers will be willing to trade direct user access for indirect compensation.
It remains uncertain whether skipping Comet Plus will affect the quality or detail of responses within Perplexity or Comet. As of now, the company has not provided specifics. Engadget has reached out to Perplexity for clarification on whether the existing Publisher Program will continue or evolve alongside Comet Plus.
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Ultimately, Perplexity’s new revenue-sharing model represents a strategic attempt to address publisher concerns and adapt to an AI-driven content landscape. Whether Comet Plus will foster stronger partnerships or raise further debate over AI’s use of online media remains to be seen.
