Rolling Stone Class Action Settlement — Lifetime Subscribers Can Restore Print & Get 2 Years Digital
By Steve Levine
Published: May 5, 2026
Status
Claims Open
Claim Deadline
None
claims accepted any time after final approval
Estimated Payout
Print Subscription + 2 Years Digital
no cash; resume printed magazine plus free RollingStone.com access
Proof Required
No
name, mailing address, and email only
What Is the Rolling Stone Class Action Settlement?
Did you buy a "lifetime" subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine years ago and then notice that the print magazine stopped showing up at your door? You may be eligible to resume print delivery and also receive two years of free access to RollingStone.com under a class action settlement now open for claims. There is no claim deadline, no proof requirement, and only three pieces of information are required to opt in.The Rolling Stone lawsuit, captioned Krivin v. Penske Media Corporation, Case No. 2:25-cv-05803, is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California before Judge Andre Birotte Jr. The lawsuit alleges that Penske Media Corporation (PMC), the parent company of Rolling Stone, breached its contracts with lifetime subscribers by switching them from the printed magazine to a digital E-Edition. The lawsuit also alleges that PMC violated the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act on the same basis.
The plaintiffs (Moss Krivin, Eric Hueg, Kim Gallagher, and Beverly Penninger) argued that they paid for a print magazine subscription that was supposed to last their lifetimes and that PMC was therefore obligated to keep delivering the printed magazine, not unilaterally substitute a digital edition. PMC denies any wrongdoing, denies any liability, and is settling without admitting fault.
30-Second Self-Test: Do I Qualify for the Rolling Stone Settlement?
If you can answer yes to both questions below, you are likely a class member.• Did you purchase a "lifetime" subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine at any point in the past? The class is defined by the original purchase of a lifetime subscription, not by your current subscription status. If you bought a lifetime Rolling Stone subscription in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, or any later period, you likely qualify regardless of whether you are still receiving the magazine today.
• Do you currently live in the United States? The class covers U.S.-resident lifetime subscribers. Lifetime subscribers who have moved abroad are excluded.
If you answered yes to both, you can submit your claim with just your name, mailing address, and email address. No subscription receipts, payment records, or other documentation are required. PMC verifies class membership against its existing subscriber records.
What Does the Rolling Stone Settlement Pay? (Spoiler: No Cash)
This is an important expectation-management point: the Rolling Stone settlement is a non-monetary settlement. There is no cash payment, no check, and no PayPal disbursement. Class members who assumed "settlement = money" should know upfront that this case provides subscription benefits, not dollars.What the settlement does provide to eligible lifetime subscribers is two layered benefits:
• Resumed print magazine delivery. If you previously received the printed edition and were switched to digital, or if you stopped receiving the magazine entirely, you can now resume print delivery for as long as PMC continues to publish a printed edition of Rolling Stone during your lifetime. Print delivery begins within six to twelve weeks of PMC processing the claim.
• Two years of free RollingStone.com access. Class members can claim two years of paid digital access to RollingStone.com at no cost. Digital access is provisioned within fourteen days of PMC processing the claim.
Lifetime subscribers who are already receiving the printed edition keep the printed edition and may also claim the two years of digital access. The benefits stack rather than substitute.
For most lifetime subscribers, the print restoration is the primary benefit. The original "lifetime" subscription was specifically a print product, and PMC's switch to a digital-only E-Edition was the central grievance in the lawsuit. The two years of digital access is a secondary benefit that recognizes some readers may now prefer (or need) digital access alongside the print magazine.
Why "No Claim Deadline" Is Unusual (and What It Means)
Most class action settlements impose a strict claim deadline of a few months after final approval, after which class members forfeit their rights to settlement benefits. The Rolling Stone settlement is structured differently: there is no claim deadline. Eligible lifetime subscribers may submit a claim at any time, including years after the settlement is finally approved.The structural reason is straightforward. The benefits are tied to ongoing subscription relationships rather than to a one-time payout from a settlement fund. PMC cannot reasonably "close" the claim window because it is committing to ongoing publication and delivery obligations to lifetime subscribers. As long as a class member is alive, lives in the United States, and PMC is still publishing Rolling Stone, the settlement contemplates that the class member can claim print delivery and the digital access benefits.
That said, submitting a claim early is recommended for two reasons. First, print delivery does not begin until six to twelve weeks after PMC processes the claim, so an early claim means earlier magazine arrival. Second, the two-year digital access window starts when PMC processes the claim, not when the settlement is approved, so an early claim means a longer overlapping window of print-plus-digital benefits. Class members who want to maximize the practical value of the settlement should file as soon as the settlement receives final approval (currently expected at the August 7, 2026 fairness hearing).
Who Is Included in the Rolling Stone Settlement Class?
The Settlement Class is defined as all subscribers to Rolling Stone Magazine who live in the United States and previously purchased a so-called "lifetime" subscription.That definition has three structural pieces:
• Lifetime subscription specifically. Regular annual subscribers, gift subscribers, and digital-only subscribers are not in the class. The class covers only people who paid for a lifetime subscription product.
• Rolling Stone Magazine specifically. Lifetime subscribers to other PMC magazines (Variety, Billboard, Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, and others) are not in this class. Each publication is treated separately for class purposes.
• U.S. residence. Lifetime subscribers who live abroad are not in the class. The settlement specifies that class members must live in the United States both at the time of opt-in and during the period in which they receive benefits.
Excluded from the class are PMC and its current officers, directors, employees, subsidiaries, and affiliates; the judges assigned to this case and any members of their immediate families; and the parties' counsel in this litigation.
How to File a Rolling Stone Class Action Claim
Filing a Rolling Stone settlement claim is unusually simple. Three submission paths are available, and only three pieces of information are required (your name, mailing address, and email address).• Online claim form (recommended): The fastest path is the official online claim portal at subscribe.rollingstone.com (Krivin claim form). The form accepts your name, mailing address, and email address, then submits the claim directly to PMC for processing.
• Email submission: You may email the Settlement Administrator using the contact information published on the official RS-Settlement.com website.
• Phone submission: A toll-free phone line is also listed on RS-Settlement.com for class members who prefer to submit by phone.
All three paths capture the same information and result in the same processing. The online claim form is the fastest because the data submission is immediate and the confirmation is automatic.
Key Rolling Stone Settlement Deadlines
Although the Rolling Stone class action does not have a claim deadline, there are deadlines for class members who want to opt out or object to the settlement.• Claim submission: No deadline. Eligible class members may submit a claim at any time after final approval.
• Opt-out deadline: June 26, 2026. Class members who want to exclude themselves from the settlement (and preserve their right to sue PMC individually for the same claims) must mail an Opt-Out Request postmarked no later than June 26, 2026.
• Objection deadline: July 11, 2026. Class members who do not opt out but want to object to part of the settlement must file a written objection postmarked no later than July 11, 2026.
• Final Fairness Hearing: August 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., before Judge Andre Birotte Jr. in Courtroom 7B at the First Street Courthouse, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, in Los Angeles.
When Will I Receive the Print Magazine and Digital Access?
The benefit timeline depends on which benefit you claim and when PMC processes the claim. Both timelines start when PMC marks the claim as approved, not when the class member submits the claim online.• Print magazine delivery: Begins within six to twelve weeks of PMC processing your approved claim. The first issue arrives by U.S. mail at the address provided in the claim form. Subsequent issues arrive on Rolling Stone's regular publication schedule, currently approximately once per month with occasional double issues.
• RollingStone.com digital access: Provisioned within fourteen days of PMC processing your approved claim. The two-year window starts on the date access is granted. Class members receive an email with login instructions for activating the digital subscription.
Both benefits are conditional on final court approval. If the court approves the settlement at the August 7, 2026 fairness hearing and no appeals are filed, benefit distribution would begin shortly afterward. Appeals can extend the timeline by a year or more, in which case PMC would not begin processing claims until appeals are resolved.
What Happens If I Do Nothing?
If you do nothing, you remain in the class and will be bound by the settlement if the court approves it, but you will not receive any benefits. You will also give up your right to sue PMC and its affiliates for the legal claims being released by the settlement.For lifetime Rolling Stone subscribers, doing nothing is generally not the optimal choice. The claim process requires only three pieces of information and three minutes of time, and the benefits (print restoration plus two years of digital access) have meaningful value to anyone who originally paid for a lifetime subscription. If you bought a lifetime subscription decades ago and then stopped receiving the magazine, this is the legal mechanism for getting print delivery restored.
How to Opt Out or Object to the Rolling Stone Settlement
Class members who do not want to be bound by the settlement have two options: opt out by June 26, 2026, or object by July 11, 2026.Opting out means you exclude yourself from the settlement entirely. You will not receive any settlement benefits (no print magazine, no digital access), but you keep the right to sue PMC individually for the same legal claims. To opt out, mail an Opt-Out Request postmarked no later than June 26, 2026 to Defense Counsel at the address listed in the official Long Form Notice. The request must be signed and must state your full name, current address, email address, and telephone number, plus a statement requesting exclusion from the Settlement Class.
Objecting means you stay in the class (and remain eligible for the print and digital benefits) but tell the court that some part of the settlement is unfair or inadequate. To object, file a written objection with the court and serve copies on Class Counsel and Defense Counsel by July 11, 2026. The objection must include your contact information, the reasons for your objection, copies of any supporting documents, and a statement of whether you intend to appear at the August 7 fairness hearing.
Most class members will neither opt out nor object. Both options exist primarily for class members who believe the print-and-digital benefits substantially understate their individual damages or who have a structural concern about how the settlement is constructed.
Lawyers Representing the Class
The court has appointed two firms as Class Counsel: Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP (lead attorney Timothy N. Mathews, based in Haverford, Pennsylvania) and Miller Shah LLP (Los Angeles office). Class members will not be personally charged for Class Counsel's services.Class Counsel will ask the court to award attorneys' fees not to exceed $525,000, inclusive of all fees, expenses, and costs. The class representatives Moss Krivin, Eric Hueg, Kim Gallagher, and Beverly Penninger will each apply for a service award of up to $2,500, plus printed back issues of Rolling Stone Magazine. The court may award less than these amounts. Attorneys' fees and service awards are paid by PMC and do not reduce the value of the print and digital benefits distributed to class members.
How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?
Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:Claim Form Website: RS-Settlement.com
Submit Claim
Official Settlement Notice
Sources
• Official Settlement Website: RS-Settlement.com• Official Online Claim Portal: Krivin v. Rolling Stone Claim Form
• Krivin v. Penske Media Corporation, Case No. 2:25-cv-05803, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Hon. Andre Birotte Jr. presiding
Filing Class Action Settlement Claims
Please submit only truthful information on any Claim. False or fraudulent claims can be rejected and may lead to penalties. If you are not sure whether you qualify, review the eligibility information at RS-Settlement.com or contact Class Counsel. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site and is not the Settlement Administrator or a law firm, and we do not process or decide claims.
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Learn More| Rolling Stone Settlement Snapshot | |
| Status | Open — Filing Claims Now |
|---|---|
| Claim Form Deadline | None (claims accepted any time after final approval) |
| Opt Out Deadline | June 26, 2026 |
| Objection Deadline | July 11, 2026 |
| Final Fairness Hearing | August 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California |
| Category | Consumer Protection / Magazine Subscription |
| Settlement Benefits | Resume print magazine delivery for life (as long as PMC keeps publishing print) plus two years free RollingStone.com digital access (no cash payment) |
| Cash Payment Available? | No (non-monetary settlement) |
| Proof Required to File? | No (name, mailing address, email only) |
| Print Delivery Begins | Six to twelve weeks after PMC processes the claim |
| Digital Access Begins | Within fourteen days of PMC processing the claim |
| Defendant | Penske Media Corporation (PMC), parent company of Rolling Stone, LLC |
| Case Number | 2:25-cv-05803 |
| Case Title | Krivin v. Penske Media Corporation |
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California |
| Judge | Hon. Andre Birotte Jr. |
| Class Counsel | Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP; Miller Shah LLP |
| Official Website | Rolling Stone Magazine Settlement |