The magazine founded by late Hugh Hefner in 1953 will have its final printed publication for the year in the U.S. through its spring 2020 issue, and will operate on a 'digital first publishing schedule.'
- March 19, 2020
AceShowbiz - The coronavirus pandemic has claimed Playboy magazine.
Editors have decided to bring forward plans to shut down the print edition of the once-fabled men's publication due to the economic disruptions caused by COVID-19.
"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," a letter from Playboy bosses to the media reads.
"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."
Playboy, which the late Hugh Hefner founded in 1953, will now operate on a "digital first publishing schedule," although there are plans to release occasional special print editions, beginning in 2021.
Ironically, as the printed Playboy dies, Hefner's son, Cooper, is about to become a first-time dad - last week (March 10) he announced his actress wife, Scarlett Byrne, is pregnant.
"The Vampire Diaries" star posted a photo of her baby bump on Instagram, revealing she and her husband's hearts are "filled with gratitude and joy."
