Soap Opera Digest & Soaps In Depth

[Errol]

So, where the heck have I been? I had no clue that Accelerate360 (aka a360), the parent company that owns Soap Opera Digest, also now owns Soaps In Depth, more specifically the domain, from its apparent acquisition of Bauer's U.S. publishing division.

https://accelerate360.com/press-release/accelerate-360-launches-new-platform/

Just something I found interesting.

[titan1978]

When I saw this heading I was sure it was an announcement that both magazines were shuttering.

[Errol]

 

Well, Soaps In Depth the magazine has been dead for three years. However, the website, which is much more profitable, continues.

[lucaslesann23]

Yeah, Same. Thought SOD was done for.

[j swift]

The last time I bought SOD was in November 2022, on iTunes, to read on a plane.  It was shockingly $4.99.  I remember when the cover advertised that it was 99 cents. It was less than 30 pages.  But it still had ads for those creepy lifelike baby dolls and vinyl handbags with tons of pockets; some things never change.  I get my groceries delivered, so I don't see it in the supermarket anymore as an impulse buy.

To @Errol's point it is remarkable that the websites are profitable enough to maintain them both.  It must be costly because they employ separate writers and photo editors.  IIRC, 30 years ago, when News Corp owned SOD and SOW they shared resources, like Carolyn Hinsey who wrote for both magazines.  I hadn't considered that Soaps in Depth still had an internet presence until I read about it here.

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by j swift

[Errol]

I believe the cover price is $6.99 or $7.99 now. 

When it comes to their respective websites there is no real overhead except maintenance which could be a single person across multiple websites owned by a360media.

As for the sites themselves, they just pay freelancers to write articles, particularly at SID.

Now that I know both are owned by the same company it makes sense why I once saw Chris Eades (most frequent author on SID website) had his name on a SOD post a few months ago…one of the few times SOD wasn’t the author name. 

IIRC at one point Carolyn had to leave SOD because she took a job at InTouch, which I think was owned by Bauer which is now owned by a360media, SOD’s parent company. A bit of irony. 

[kalbir]

Yikes! The last time I looked through a SOD, the issue wasn't even 100 pages and the paper quality was flimsy.

If we're keeping it real SOD hasn't really been relevant for the better part of the last 25 years. I'll forever maintain that the internet made the soap press obsolete.

[Liberty City]

Yeah. It's within the past few months, because Bauer Media Group/Bauer XL owned Soaps In Depth for the longest time.

[Gray Bunny]

I actually was a regular subscriber to SOD until early 2018, purely out of loyalty. The last I saw, the magazine was only 72 pages long, and yes the paper quality was rubbish. When I'd get around to actually reading them, the "spoilers" were now recaps to me, and the interviews were just fluff pieces (newbies always saying, "everyone was so sweet and nice and welcoming, yadayadayada"), and the only stuff I was interested in was the history pieces. But after so many years of reading about Luke & Laura's wedding or Viki going to Heaven over and over and over again, I finally decided to ax it. 

I think the price tag is $4.99 unless a post-pandemic/inflation has taken it up another couple couple bucks? Yikes, not worth it at all.  I think only 1 grocery store in my area still carries it. 

[AbcNbc247]

Idk about print copies but a e-copy is $3.99. 

I cancelled my subscription a long time ago too, now I just download the Best and Worst issue every year 

Edited May 8, 2023 by AbcNbc247

[Darn]

No need to read the magazine anymore, I just listen to the occasional SOD podcast. Even if the hosts are terrible interviewers (they rarely ask follow up questions, very clearly just going down a list they're afraid to deviate from and both of them having weird voices!) I like hearing the actors talk about their auditions, history, process etc.

[dragonflies]

You can get a subscription for $5.99 a month for SOD too, much cheaper that way