Ends Friday:

Lock in a year of Digiday+ for 35% less.

SUBSCRIBE

What Variety’s Struggles Show About Publishing Models

There’s a struggle going on in Hollywood right now between old and new media. Variety, the 107-year-old trade magazine, is not only having trouble finding a suitor, but has also come to the conclusion that its $40 million price tag may be too much.

The problem, like many traditional publishers trying to keep its heads above water, is that there are now many online-only trade publications, like Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood, HollywoodLife.com and to a certain extent TMZ, who offer the same (and sometimes more exclusive) content that doesn’t reside behind a paywall. It’s the same story that’s playing out across industries. It’s hard to imagine that if you were to reinvent Variety today that you’d start with a print product.

Digital properties are more nimble than a weekly and trade publications are not immune to the changes in the media landscape. If Reed Elsevier wants to sell Variety, it needs to prove why a legacy media company can work in a digital world. And as the Post points out, dropping the price may be the only way out.

More in Media

Omnicom’s ‘fewer middlemen’ push is reaching publishers – just not their P&Ls

Omnicom’s drive to “reduce middlemen” is showing up in how its agencies talk to publishers. 

Bleacher Report launches YouTube channel for its sports cartoon fanbase ahead of World Cup

Bleacher Report is betting on animated sports content and YouTube distribution to capture World Cup fans and young viewers.

WTF is viewbotting?

Viewbotting artificially inflates livestream views, but it doesn’t just affect streamers. What is the practice and why are brands and platforms concerned?