Time Inc. has decided to double down on the the tablet and e-reader revolution, announcing today that it plans to launch tablet editions of all 21 of its U.S. magazine properties by the end of the year. The announcement means that titles like Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, and Real Simple will join the likes of People, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Time itself on tablets and ereader devices—and will make Time Inc. the first major U.S. magazine publisher to push tablet editions of all its titles.
“In the coming year, there will clearly be many more consumers using tablets, accelerating demand for content and driving advertiser interest. We are putting ourselves in a great position to take advantage of these opportunities,” said Time Inc. executive VP Maurice Edelson, in a statement. “Having our entire portfolio available on tablets will create a significant new digital reach for our advertisers.”
Time says its existing digital editions have been downloaded more than 11 million times, and that “hundreds of thousands” of print subscribers have upgraded their subscriptions to include no-extra-cost digital editions.
Time Inc. currently offers titles for the Apple iPad and HP TouchPad, as well as on the Android Marketplace and Next Issue Media’s store. The company also announced a deal with Barnes & Noble to sell digital subscriptions and single issues of Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time on the Nook Color beginning later in August, with the rest of the company’s lineup going to the Nook Color by the end of 2011.
Digital editions of Time’s publications will include print ads—Time claims consumers “place a high value” on digital versions of print publications that include all the ads.
