Digital publishers BDG and Complex NTWRK are reintroducing print products as branding tools and funnels into other revenue streams. Legacy publishers like The Atlantic and Time have seen growth in their print revenue, suggesting potential opportunities for publishers experimenting with physical magazines.
Nylon, a digital-only magazine since 2017, has been relaunched biannually, with an initial print run of 50,000 issues. Complex NTWRK plans to release 12 magazines per year, four of which will be print editions, as part of its subscription business.
Despite the digital shift, print remains a viable business for some publishers. However, other publishers like Dotdash Meredith have seen a decline in print revenue due to the migration of audience and advertising spend from print to digital.
Vox has launched a paid subscription program, an evolution of its reader contributor model created in 2020. Vox members can choose to pay a minimum of $5 a month or $50 a year to receive exclusive content.
Amazon is wooing publishers to bolster its $50 billion ad business with new features for Amazon Publisher Cloud. The New Yorker has refocused its newsletter strategy to retain its 1.2 million paid subscribers and grow its audience by sending fewer emails. The Washington Post has added AI-generated audio to three newsletters.
Condé Nast, Forbes, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and The Independent are focusing on key revenue trends in the industry, including affiliate commerce, diversification of revenue streams, and global business expansion. Publicly-traded media companies and generative AI tech companies are also engaging in new AI licensing deals.
