After 50 years, the steamy publication Penthouse is finally folding its centerfolds — in print, that is.
The magazine, which ran its first issue in 1965, will cease all operations concerning its physical, newstand-ready editions and will continue to live as a digital-only format, according to an exclusive with the Wall Street Journal.
"Reimagined for the preferred consumption of content today by consumers, the digital version of Penthouse magazine will combine and convert everything readers know and love about the print magazine experience to the power of a digital experience," FriendFinder Networks, Penthouse's social networking parent company, told the WSJ in an interview.
The decision to shutter its print issues comes in the wake of similar decisions made by like-minded publications, like the UK's FHM and Zoo, as well as the Hugh Hefner-founded magazine Playboy's choice to abandon the print centerfolds that made it a (seedy) household name.
As per WSJ, Penthouse decided to go the digital-only route after a drastic decrease in print subscriptions, which numbered around five million at the height of the magazine's popularity. The media company's troubles began more than a decade ago, when then-founder Bob Guccione filed for bankruptcy in 2004. Subsequently, Guccione lost control of the magazine. Almost 10 years later, FriendFinder did the same in 2013, then filed for bankruptcy protection the same year.
In addition to ceasing printing monthly issues, Penthouse plans to shut down its New York offices, re-centering them solely in Los Angeles.
"This move will keep Penthouse competitive in the future and will seamlessly combine our unmatched pictorial features and editorial content with our video and broadcast offerings," said Jonathan Buckheit, CEO of FriendFinder.
Via: The Verge
