The Wikipedia article on the subscription business model states only that it "was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century," naming no specific year, publication or publisher. The claim is broad enough to cover a century-long span rather than a documentable origin point.
What would resolve this A publishing-history source that names the first periodical or book publisher known to have charged a recurring subscription price, with a specific year, rather than a general encyclopedic reference to "the 17th century."
OpenPublishing and Business HistoryWikipedia, Subscription Business Model