Playboy Discontinues Print EditionPlayboy Discontinues Print Edition

The spring 2020 issue of Playboy may be the magazine’s last. Regular production of the 66-year-old magazine’s print edition will cease, shifting to a digital-first publishing schedule.

“Last week, 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, and how to utilize our industry-leading content production capabilities to engage in a cultural conversation each and every day, rather than just every three months,” said Ben Kohn, chief executive officer, Playboy, via statement. “With all of this in mind, we have decided that our spring 2020 Issue, which arrives on U.S. newsstands and as a digital download this week, will be our final printed publication for the year in the U.S. 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.”

The announcement comes after several years of Playboy attempting to adjust to the digital age. In 2016, it removed all nudity from its pages. A year later, it brought it back, reducing its publications from 12 issues a year to six.

In 2021, the company plans to offer “fresh and innovative printed offerings,” along with digital content and consumer product launches.