New York magazine is spinning off Vulture, its entertainment and culture vertical, as a standalone site on Tuesday, in the hopes that showcasing it away from “New York” (both the media brand and province) can attract national advertising — and lead it to profitability.
In other words, they’re hoping it’s more “Frasier” than “Joey.”
“While it still has a relationship with New York and New York magazine, it is its own thing,” New York editor Adam Moss told the New York Times. The magazine, which has already spent millions on developing Vulture and attracting talent (including Joe Adalian, TheWrap’s former television reporter), had to shell out an undisclosed sum for Vulture.com, and more cash to acquire the trademark.
Moss added that the site has yet to turn a profit, but expects to next year.
New York is betting that Vulture will be able to generate national appeal, traffic (nymag.com draws about 4.1 million unique visitors per month, according to Quantcast estimates) and advertisers who might’ve been hesitant to advertise on a New York-specific site.
There’s plenty of competition in that marketplace, of course. Deadline, the trades, and the site you’re on right now.
In terms of editorial coverage, though, it doesn’t sound like much change with Vulture outside of the New York nest – the popular television recaps (for shows like “Mad Men” and “Gossip Girl”) and entertainment news coverage will remain.
And:
Editors are also working on a feature they have code-named the Anticipation Index. In keeping with the magazine’s ethos — most elements of pop culture can be ranked in some quantifiable way — the new index will try to measure buzz about a coming event like a book or film release.
Sounds like a “Matrix” version of the Approval Matrix.
