New 'Playboy Now' app is mobile-centric and, yes, SFW

Iconic men's magazine Playboy has a new free mobile app that's safe to watch on the go -- and at work.

Playboy Now, available for Android and iOS devices, delivers original content that's separate from the magazine and is aimed at men on the go.

Playboy.com attracts 19 million unique visitors monthly and nearly one-third check out the site daily. A surprising 80% visit on mobile, so Playboy Now's content is created to be mobile-centric.

"We have a very engaged audience on mobile and about three-fourths comes after 4 p.m. So we are building this optimized experience for these guys who are coming back every day and there are millions of them," said Phillip Morelock, Playboy senior vice president and chief product officer. "We want to give them the best experience possible when they are out and about. I think that's also really relevant for our advertisers."

Playboy Now puts its twist on some of the best aspects of popular entertainment sites such as TheChive and Buzzfeed. There's lists, videos and weird news and, of course, some skin -- but no nudity -- comparable to a typical Carls Jr. TV commercial.

Among the headlines today: "Anna Kournikova's Yoga Positions Look Like They're Straight Out of the Kama Sutra," "50 Best Movies Without a Love Story," "What '8 Minutes' Got Wrong About Sex Workers," "We Drank the World's 5 Weirdest Beers," "Spare Parts from the Playboy Garage: Porsche 911," and "YouTuber Lauren Francesca Shows Us All Her Personalities."

The new app is part of a digital makeover for the brand. Its previous app Playboy app from two years ago borrowed from the mothership mag.

Playboy's new digital lineup includes an ad-supported SFW web site at Playboy.com, a separate Playmates.com and the subscription site Playboy Cover to Cover.

The content on Playboy Now and Playboy.com is updated more than twice hourly. Each day there's The Daily list with five timely items (story, photo gallery or video) to go along with video interviews and photos and videos of playmates. "We think this will be an even better experience for people coming to our website," he said.

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