Playboy joins digital newsstand Readly as it looks to entice new readers
Playboy magazine has joined digital newsstand Readily as it looks to broaden its reach after a ban on female nudity on its pages seemingly knocked circulation figures.
The magazine is set to join Readly with immediate effect. Readly offers consumers digital access to a range of 520 UK magazine brands as well as international titles through an all-you-can-read subscription model.
The iconic title makes its bow on the UK platform as part of a wider attempt to reinvent itself for younger readers. Despite its fame, the title has struggled to maintain its relevancy in a market that has become increasingly hard to monetise at scale given the proliferation of free online content.
Ranj Begley, Readly UK’s managing director, said: "The new Playboy fits perfectly into our expanding range of titles which are carefully curated for our digitally-savvy audience, which has a strong male section to it. Having such an iconic brand, now without nudity, will grow Playboy’s audience and will enhance Readly’s consumer offer."
Playboy completely redesigned and repositioned itself earlier this year, following founder Hugh Hefner’s decision to no longer feature nudity on its pages. The revamp was designed to make it "safe to read at work". Playboy's website was also toned down to help drive more traffic during work hours.
The staretgic shift aims to reverse a drastic decline in demand for the magazine. Readership has dropped from about 5.6 million in 1975 to around 800,000 in recent years.
In March it was reported that Playboy Enterprises, the parent group of Playboy magazine, was allegedly exploring a sale which could see it fetch up to $500m.