TORONTO – Rogers is rolling out the country’s first all-you-can-read subscription digital magazine service next month which will offer tablet users unlimited access to a catalogue of more than 100 Canadian and U.S. titles.
Known as Next Issue Canada, the service will cost $9.99 per month and will feature Rogers publications such as Maclean's, Chatelaine, Today's Parent, Sportsnet and Canadian Business alongside access to U.S. titles such as Vogue, GQ, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, and Time. In conjunction with the launch of Next Issue Canada, Rogers's magazine titles will be available to U.S. subscribers of Next Issue.
Next Issue Canada launches October 15 on iPads, Android tablets, and Win8 devices, with exclusive access to Rogers wireless and cable customers for an initial two-month free trial. On December 15, all Canadians will be able to access the Next Issue Canada digital newsstand, with the first month free.
Rogers is now a partner in Next Issue Media, which was created in 2009 and is a joint venture originally formed by U.S.-based publishers Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, NewsCorp, and Time Inc.
Rogers Media also announced that Ken Whyte, formerly the president of Rogers publishing and custom content, has been named as president of Next Issue Canada. Whyte and Melinda Rogers, SVP of strategy & development at Rogers and founder and managing general partner of Rogers Venture Partners, have joined the Next Issue Media Board of Directors.
“Our investment in Next Issue Canada reinforces our commitment to our digital future and the magazine industry," said Rogers Media president Keith Pelley, in the announcement. "We believe so strongly in the digital future of content, and the power of the Next Issue platform, that we're putting the country's most creative publishing mind, Ken Whyte, at its helm."
“The Next Issue platform is the future of magazine content consumption. It was the first all-you-can-read subscription digital magazine service, serving up the world's best magazines in a format that enhances what readers love about magazines: the sensory experience, the stunning visuals, in-depth content and the discovery of the unexpected," said Whyte. "Next Issue Canada delivers added value with an all-you-can-read experience. It retains the best of print while making the content come to life vividly, giving readers a more personalized, interactive experience. As a result, the magazine of today is even more powerful than the magazine of yesterday."
