Print magazines are on the rise

What’s old is becoming new again. After years of decline, print magazines are slowly mounting a comeback, joining vinyl records and classical music on the “making a resurgence” list.

In recent months, a growing number of magazines across a variety of niches have announced a print comeback, including Sports Illustrated, Vice, Field & Stream, Nylon, and Saveur. And publications historically known for their magazines, like Architectural Digest, The Atlantic, Bon Appétit, GQ, New York, the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, are still cranking out content.

The idea: Many publications newly leaning into magazines are banking on the theory that consumers asked to pay for digital publications will be even more willing to subscribe if offered an occasional print edition to go along with online access.

🖨 Zoom out: While US magazine advertising revenue has fallen from $15+ billion per year in the early-to-mid-2000’s to ~$6 billion last year, print magazines are still an attractive option for high-end advertisers. Data shows print magazine readership is disproportionately made up of affluent and well-educated people, who are generally willing to pay for upscale and/or high-quality products.