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- Perplexity AI launched a $42.5M publisher revenue-sharing program funded by its $5 Comet Plus subscription service.
- Publishers will receive 80% of subscription revenue when their content is used in Comet browser searches or AI results.
- The move comes as Perplexity faces lawsuits from Dow Jones, the New York Post, and accusations from Cloudflare.
- Unlike fixed licensing deals by rivals, Perplexity’s model creates recurring revenue streams that could outgrow the $42.5M fund.
U.S.-based AI search startup ,Perplexity AI, has unveiled a $42.5 million revenue-sharing initiative designed to pay publishers for the use of their content across its platforms.
The program will funnel funds directly from Comet Plus, a $5 monthly subscription service that offers curated search and AI-driven content recommendations.
Under the plan, publishers will receive 80% of subscription revenue, while Perplexity retains 20%. Compensation will be tied to when articles appear in Comet browser search queries, generate web traffic, or are surfaced by the platform’s AI assistant.
Though the company has yet to reveal which publishers have officially signed on, Perplexity confirmed that negotiations are already underway with several of its past media partners.
Lawsuits Push AI Firms Toward Revenue Models
The rollout comes amid escalating legal battles over how artificial intelligence companies use third-party content. Dow Jones and the New York Post are currently suing Perplexity, alleging copyright infringement. Other media outlets have made similar accusations, arguing the startup leverages their reporting without consent.
In a separate dispute, Cloudflare accused Perplexity of bypassing web protections to extract data from publishers’ websites. Perplexity denied the claims, asserting that its assistant only accesses sites at user request.
These lawsuits are part of a broader wave hitting the AI industry. As of August 2025, there are at least 48 active copyright lawsuits targeting AI firms. Entertainment giants like Disney and Universal have also filed fresh lawsuits this year. The heightened scrutiny has made it increasingly difficult for startups to rely on legal defenses alone.
Perplexity’s decision to proactively allocate $42.5 million toward publisher revenue sharing underscores the mounting financial risks of waiting for court rulings to dictate outcomes.
A Shift From Licensing to Profit-Sharing
Traditionally, companies such as OpenAI and Google have struck fixed multimillion-dollar licensing deals with publishers to gain access to their content. These agreements often involve one-off payments and no ongoing revenue participation.
Perplexity is taking a different route. By offering publishers a recurring income stream tied directly to subscription growth, it positions itself as more publisher-friendly than rivals relying on flat licensing fees. The 80/20 split could deliver significantly higher long-term returns to media outlets whose content is heavily used in AI-driven searches.
Industry observers note that the performance-based model aligns publishers’ incentives with Perplexity’s platform growth. If Comet Plus subscriptions scale, payouts to publishers could exceed the initial $42.5 million pool.
Publishers Weigh the Risks and Rewards
While some publishers may welcome the prospect of a recurring income stream, others remain cautious. The lawsuits from Dow Jones and the New York Post demonstrate that not all media companies are ready to embrace Perplexity’s terms.
Still, analysts suggest that the combination of legal headwinds and financial opportunities may push more publishers to consider partnerships. With AI search engines becoming an increasingly popular way for readers to access information, media companies face a choice of fighting the platforms in court, or securing a share of the revenue they generate.
