Adult industry trade press: AVN, XBIZ, and the trade-press ecosystem 1983-2026

Abstract. The adult-industry trade press is one of the more durable institutional layers in the broader adult-content ecosystem. AVN (Adult Video News, founded 1983) and XBIZ (founded 2002) anchor the English-language coverage; specialty outlets in French, German, Spanish, and Russian add cross-jurisdictional depth. This entry surveys the historical trajectory of the trade press, the operational role it plays for studios and performers, the post-2020 environment in which it operates, and the open question of what "serious industry journalism" looks like in 2026 as the audience for trade-press coverage diverges.

By Maya Brennan. 1,610 words · 7 min · 6 citations.