The Onion brought back its print edition. The gamble is paying off.

Publications turn to the old-style products to appeal to nostalgic readers and stand out in a crowded digital media landscape

Posted Thursday, August 21, 2025 10:47 am

Alexandra Bruell | The Wall Street Journal

When the Onion’s new owners acquired the satirical publication a year ago, they bet on a dying breed: print subscribers.

It’s working.

Filled with spoof ads and satirical headlines that often take swings at the news of the day, the Onion has more than 53,000 subscribers paying as much as $9 a month. The publication has a new deal to sell its papers at Barnes & Noble, and is expecting about $6 million in revenue this year — up from less than $2 million in early 2024.

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The Onion brought back its print edition. The gamble is paying off.

Publications turn to the old-style products to appeal to nostalgic readers and stand out in a crowded digital media landscape

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