Wired Takes Note of Porn Downturn

LOS ANGELES — The downturn in the adult business discussed by Variety Editor-In-Chief Peter Bart in April is the focus of an article on the Wired magazine website.

"In good times and in bad, sin sells; booze, tobacco and sex have all weathered countless economic storms over the centuries," the article said. "This recession is a little different, though. It's been extremely challenging for adult filmmakers, who are not only wrestling with anemic consumer spending, they're also competing with a nearly infinite supply of free, amateur videos from countless user-generated sites, not to mention a glut of traditional inventory."

The Wired writer spoke to Wicked Pictures president Steve Orenstein, who has not cut back on Wicked's production schedule, although the company is cutting expenses.

"We haven't laid anyone off or cut any salaries, but we're trying to be smarter — cut the things we probably should have cut 10 years ago," Orenstein told Wired.

Adult Video News founder Paul Fishbein told the writer, "At the retail level, all the store owners I've talked to say their rental sales are off 10 percent to 15 percent."

By contrast, SugarDVD vice president of business development Tony Medrano said business is growing.

"We're finding consumers don't want to pay $30 or $40 apiece for DVDs when they can subscribe and get DVDs in the mail," Medrano said.

The story also pointed out that SugarDVD started streaming video a year before mainstream DVD rental company Netflix did, and also offers a pay-per-minute service.

"We constantly have to innovate," Medrano said. "We need to get out in front of consumer demand."

The article is available here.

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

BasisDx Adds Expedited Results Option for 'Pro13' Home Testing Kit

PASS-certified home testing kit provider BasisDx has added a new option for expedited test results for its Pro13 kit.

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kalani Luana Stars in Latest From Hookup Hotshot

Kalani Luana stars with Nade Nasty in the latest release from Hookup Hotshot (HUHS).

Lilyadick Makes Her TransAngels Debut

Canadian star Lilyadick has made her debut for TransAngels alongside Parker Savage in the video game-themed scene “Playing With The NPC Babe.”

Kazumi Stars in Latest From Tushy

Kazumi stars with Milan Ponjevic, Jax Slayher and Dan Damage in a new airtight scene from Vixen Media Group (VMG) studio imprint Tushy.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Cherry Kiss Toplines Pat Myne's 'Anal Fetish Babes'

Cherry Kiss headlines director Pat Myne’s “Anal Fetish Babes,” from Evil Angel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

Nicole Aria Stars in Latest From Jules Jordan

Nicole Aria stars with John Strong and Zac Wild in the latest release from Jules Jordan.

Show More