My understanding is that the Weekly Standard, like National Review, and like nearly all political magazines, never made money.
It has always had the backing of a financial white knight.
The current white knight, Philip Anschutz, who also owns the various Examiner publications, has decided he wants to “upgrade” the Washington Examiner, making a print edition more widely available, by subscription. The rumor is that Standard subscribers will have their subscriptions filled with copies of the Examiner.
By killing off the Standard, the Examiner will get the one thing of value: the Standard’s subscription rolls.
By refusing to sell the Standard or its name, Anschutz assures that no namesake competitor will arise for the affections of the subscribers.
It is said that what did in the Standard was not Bill Kristol’s neoconservative views, nor his anti-Trumpism, but rather, his gross incompetence managing the business. His departure as editor-in-chief in 2016 wasn’t about partisan politics, or Trump. It was instigated by an internal coup to try to save a publication being utterly strangled by an idiot manager.
[It is said that what did in the Standard was not Bill Kristol’s neoconservative views, nor his anti-Trumpism, but rather, his gross incompetence managing the business. His departure as editor-in-chief in 2016 wasn’t about partisan politics, or Trump. It was instigated by an internal coup to try to save a publication being utterly strangled by an idiot manager.]