Sky News Will Charge For iPhone App Outside UK, Ireland

Sky News’ iPhone app may be a free download in the UK and Ireland, but the news channel now plans to make it available in other countries at a price.

Launched in May to offer headlines, videos and a citizen photojournalism upload feature, the app has been riding high in iTunes Store’s app chart and Sky says it passed 500,000 downloads last week.

In a release celebrating the metric, Sky says it’s “currently working on being able to offer the Sky News app on Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) websites outside of its current availability on the UK and Ireland app store, and is developing these as paid for downloads in international markets”. That would mean Sky News trying to extend its brand outside its domestic territory. No word yet on pricepoint.