One month after its launch, the People Magazine app has received only a tepid reception.
Despite its 70-person team and amply marketed rollout, fewer than 5,000 people have downloaded the app in its first 30 days, according to data from the market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
The paltry figure comes despite parent company Dotdash Meredith choosing People as its first app specifically because of its massive audience, chief executive Neil Vogel told ADWEEK in April. The immensely popular brand is one of the most trafficked websites in the U.S., attracting more than 10 million people daily.
Compounding the situation, Dotdash Meredith deliberately chose an unconventional editorial strategy for the app, opting to create content exclusively for the app rather than simply treating it as another distribution channel for its standard content.
The digital media company designed and engineered the app in-house, building it into a sophisticated, TikTok-style product that consumers can swipe through to view its custom series.
It also commissioned a reality show-style video series filmed inside the People newsroom, called The Fourth wall, which airs new episodes three times a week. To produce The Fourth Wall, a small camera crew trails and films the editorial staff on a consistent basis.
While it is still very early, the underwhelming initial rollout is likely an unwelcome surprise.
Dotdash Meredith did not respond to a request for comment.
Editorial app malaise
In its modest initial adoption, People’s app is not a total anomaly.
Other recently launched editorial apps, including Vox Media’s Eater and New York Magazine products, offer context as to what sort of reception similar products might expect to receive in their early months.
The Eater app, for instance, which launched in October, generated 40,000 downloads in its first month, according to Sensor Tower. It is now averaging around 9,000 downloads per month.
The New York Magazine app, on the other hand, had fewer than 1,000 downloads in December 2024, its first month. It has averaged around 1,000 monthly downloads in the three months since, according to Sensor Tower.
