Playboy, the iconic men’s magazine, has announced that it is shutting down the US print edition for the rest of 2020 due to the global pandemic.
Playboy’s Spring issue 2020 will be the last magazine to hit the newsstands in paper format as well as in digital format. After that, the company may release certain special editions, but it is not confirmed yet.’
Playboy magazine, founded by Hugh Hefner, was first published in 1953 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover. The rest is history.
The company said they have been considering to end the magazine for awhile, but due to the pandemic, the decision came before then they had expected.
“As the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic to content production and the supply chain became clearer and clearer, we were forced to accelerate a conversation we’ve been having internally: the question of how to transform our U.S. print product to better suit what consumers want today,” wrote Ben Kohn, Playboy’s CEO.
The 66-year old magazine has been struggling to adapt the digital age for some time. Advertisers are spending more on online platforms like Facebook and Google. The ad revenue of the magazine reportedly dropped by 18 per cent last year, continuing a trend that extends back over a decade. However, the exact data was not disclosed in the announcement.
“We will move to a digital-first publishing schedule for all of our content including the Playboy Interview, 20Q, the Playboy Advisor and of course our Playmate pictorials,” Kohn said.
“In 2021, alongside our digital content offerings and new consumer product launches, we will bring back fresh and innovative printed offerings in a variety of new forms–through special editions, partnerships with the most provocative creators, timely collections and much more,” he explained.
According to the Playboy CEO, the company drove over $3 billion in annual consumer spend worldwide.
The news comes at a time when adult entertainment portal Pornhub is giving Italians, Spaniards and French free access to their premium subscription as most people are home owing to new coronavirus threat.
“Pornhub is donating its March proceeds from Modelhub to support Italy during this unfortunate time (model earnings will remain untouched). Italy will also have free access to Pornhub Premium throughout the month. Forza Italia, we love you!,” tweeted Pornhub’s Canadian parent company MindGeek.
“In light of expanding quarantines, we are extending Free Pornhub Premium for the month to our friends in [Spain and France!],” the company added.
(With input from agencies)