Playboy now available on iTunes and Google Play

Iconic American men’s magazine Playboy announced Wednesday that it would be available digitally for the first time on Apple and Google platforms in an attempt to reach out to millennials. The digital publication shall be nude-free, as it has been since earlier this year.

Starting March, the long-running magazine earlier gave up on frontal nudity to increase subscribers. Now it’s pushing boundaries even further as it launched on Google Play and iTunes.

David Israel, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Playboy Enterprises, confirmed the move to feature “safer” content paid off.

“Since introducing a brand new vision for Playboy magazine earlier this year, we have expanded our distribution channels in many powerful ways, including higher visibility on an increased number of traditional and digital media platforms,” he said.

“Inclusion in the iTunes and Google Play stores is an important milestone for Playboy as we continue to explore opportunities to introduce our content to new audiences all over the world.”

Playboy shocked the world in 1953 when its first issue featuring a nude Marilyn Monroe centrefold was released. In a move to break away from other pornographic peers, Playboy switched gears and focused on more wholesome subject matters, resulting in increased social media trade and exposure.

While Playboy has not given up plastering images of scantily clad women, the new direction its taking is a big contrast to what people are used to seeing in its pages: nudity. Playboy revamped its website to wipe out all traces of nudity. The new site debuted in August 2014 and within four months, the unique monthly visitors increased significantly, going from 4 million to 20 million as reported by Quartz.

A single digital issue of Playboy is priced at US$5.99 (AU$7.93). The annual subscription fee is US$17.99 (AU$23.81). This is not the first time the company has ventured into the app world though. Playboy Now, its site’s app extension, and Playboy Classic, a source of vintage content, have both been previously launched.