The number of North American magazine closures slowed to 35 in 2015 – down from 99 in 2014 – according to new data from New York-based periodical database MediaFinder.com.
However, the number of magazine launches also slowed significantly this year, to 113 from 190 a year ago.
The report includes four Canadian launches, led by the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation’s Explore the Possibilities in Northern Ontario.
The title launched in March and was made available to outdoor enthusiast subscribers of Outdoor Canada, Maclean’s, Our Canada and the U.S. title National Geographic Traveler.
Two Canadian titles closed this year, most notably the technology and business magazine Backbone, which suspended publication in March after 14 years. Publisher and founder Steve Dietrich told the magazine trade journal MastheadOnline.com the closure was the result of a decline in traditional ad revenues.
In the U.S. food and lifestyle were the most popular categories with 10 launches apiece, including Bake from Scratch and Beekman 1802 Almanac, followed by automotive with eight titles including Via Corsa. Other popular categories included children, home and travel with five new titles.
Closures this year included Conde Nast’s men’s title Details, Time’s 11-year-old shopping title All You (the company’s first print closure in two years) and Atlantic Media’s 46-year-old political publication National Journal.
There were 13 launches in the business-to-busines sector in 2015, including Cannabis Business Times and BizPeake Journal, down from 47 in 2014. There were seven B2B closures this year, including California Lawyer, compared to 27 last year.
