The arrival of AI is placing stress on publishers to seek out new methods to attach with their viewers, as AI summaries and reply engines are making it tougher to achieve new, oblique readers. Cell apps are rising as a channel the place publishers see new potential.
That features Complicated — the leisure and popular culture title e-commerce firm NTWRK purchased from BuzzFeed Inc. in a $108.6 million all-cash deal final yr — which launched a brand new app on August 5.
“All our future-facing issues will all be centered round this app,” mentioned CEO Aaron Levant.
For now, the app is offered in iOS and the place Complicated readers can entry its merchandise and content material. They will watch vertical movies and purchase merchandise featured in movies, articles and photographs by the app. The app collates all of Complicated’s content material (throughout its web site, social media, Complicated Store, YouTube and occasions) into one platform.
Over the following quarter, Complicated will add extra unique content material and product drops to the app, and over the following yr the app will unlock digital and bodily experiences and memberships, akin to entering into occasions and pop-up retailers, in addition to stay procuring, Levant mentioned.
Complicated isn’t the primary to do that. Dotdash Meredith’s Individuals title launched an app in April, with scrollable movies and unique content material and video franchises. The resurgence of cellular apps is one other instance of what’s outdated is new once more within the publishing world.
However this time round, it’s not the shift to cellular that’s pushing publishers to launch apps. It’s the shift to AI. Levant mentioned the app and the video and commerce companies characterize investments within the enterprise areas that aren’t as challenged by search algorithms and AI.
“These are macro adjustments which are having huge results over the following one to 2 years, and utterly reshape what publishing means and the way you monetize publishing, and what web sites imply, and can web sites even matter. Complicated was insulated from that somewhat bit… as a result of it was primarily an organization targeted on video [and shopping],” Levant mentioned. “These two issues are… significantly effectively positioned towards any degradation that AI might trigger within the general macro publishing setting.”
Complicated visitors has grown 330% yr over yr, to 59.8 million digital and social distinctive guests from June 2024 to June 2025, based on Comscore information.
Since its sale, Complicated’s income has doubled yr over yr, Levant mentioned. He declined to share uncooked income figures. The enterprise has shifted from 90% promoting and sponsorship income and 10% occasions income to 60% occasions and commerce income. The opposite 40% comes from promoting, Levant mentioned. He famous that advert income has grown prior to now yr, however declined to share by how a lot.
For now, Complicated isn’t hiring extensively to construct out its app and membership merchandise. The corporate has 250 staff throughout LA and New York, 50 of that are on the tech aspect of the enterprise.
Commerce is the ‘greatest income alternative’
When Complicated was acquired, Levant had a aim to develop Complicated right into a $100 million commerce enterprise. He mentioned the corporate has reached that focus on, due to a mixture of commerce-focused content material — akin to well-liked YouTube exhibits like “Sneaker Purchasing” — and the truth that Complicated focuses on a commerce — not affiliate — enterprise.
“I don’t love an affiliate enterprise. It’s very low carry on funding, however you get only a fraction of a share of the sale. We’re the precise service provider of document. We really ship merchandise. We really transact the merchandise and we’re creating numerous unique merchandise,” Levant mentioned. “It’s a really differentiated enterprise mannequin, rather more costly, a lot larger funding taken to get there, however I believe the prize on the finish is rather more significant.”
The app is a part of that too. Levant mentioned customers have a 30-40% larger common order worth when procuring in Complicated’s app. For now, there aren’t any advertisements served within the app (aside from branded content material in its movies).
“Commerce would be the greatest income alternative contained in the app for now,” Levant mentioned.
Occasions entry by the app
Complicated can be increasing into extra occasions. It launched a meals pageant final yr. This yr, it’ll host six of these occasions.
Complicated has hosted over 30 pop-up retailers in Los Angeles since Could 2024, and is opening a flagship retailer in New York Metropolis on August 22 (with an activation operating with ESPN by Sept. 6). Attendees must obtain Complicated’s app and use a QR code to achieve entry. They will additionally use the app to register for various panels and activations at occasions, entry maps and programming schedules. Quickly, Complicated will construct ticket-buying performance into the app, Levant mentioned.
“Just a few 100,000 customers will come to our bodily occasions this yr. And subsequent yr, I’m hoping to achieve over half one million customers [who] will come by a Complicated occasion,” Levant mentioned.
By gathering information on what customers are shopping for and attending, Complicated will construct extra personalization into the app expertise as effectively. The concept is it is going to be capable of tailor content material and product suggestions to every person round their particular person profiles, in addition to promoting, Levant famous.
Complicated membership to return
Over the following yr, Complicated can be engaged on constructing a membership program utilizing the app as a major driver.
The concept is it should reward its loyal viewers — such because the individuals who journey to Complicated’s occasions, Levant mentioned. Some perks will embrace free delivery, and early or particular entry to occasions.
Melissa Chowning, founder and CEO of viewers improvement and advertising agency Twenty-First Digital, mentioned extra publishers launching apps was a sensible technique as half of a bigger effort to compensate for declining search visitors and construct first-party information, although she questioned person adoption.
“I’m skeptical customers need one other app to verify but when it’s profitable, an app is an effective technique. Launching an app like that’s definitely one approach to gauge how deep your relationship is together with your present viewers,” she mentioned. “I believe manufacturers will nonetheless want a approach to penetrate the ecosystems of social media and search and reply engines to achieve and construct new audiences.”
