Published February 13, 2006
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SI To Offer Video Downloads
To Promote Swimsuit Issue
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The SI swimsuit issue hits newsstands tomorrow, and in addition to accessing pictures
on SI.com, fans can purchase “any of eight specially produced videos” at iTunes.com
for $1.99 each or download content to cell phones or PDAs through a partnership
between SI and American Greetings Interactive, according to Lia Miller of the
N.Y. TIMES. SI President Mark Ford said that newsstand sales of the issue would
be around 1.5 million, making a paid readership of 4.8 million when combined with
the magazine’s 3.3 million subscribers. However, he said that approximately 60
million people “would read the issue, ... making it the most widely read single
issue of any magazine in the world.” Ford: “We want to leverage the power of that
franchise.” SI Digital President Jeff Price said that each issue “would have a
unique printed number on it that the purchaser could use at iTunes.com to download
one free video.” He also “expects 50 million page views on the Web site” during
the magazine’s first week in circulation. Miller notes the magazine has promo
events planned with Anheuser-Busch centered on the issue’s release, and the cover
will be unveiled on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” tonight. The magazine retails for
$5.99, up from the regular-issue price of $3.50 (
N.Y.
TIMES, 2/13).
