FUTURE NETWORK USA ACQUIRES 6 MAGAZINES AS PART OF HIGHBURY HOUSE PLC PURCHASE IN UK
(June 22, 2005)
Brisbane, CA/New York, NY/Atlanta, GA (June 22, 2005) –
Future Network USA has acquired six U.S. magazines as part of its UK parent company’s purchase of 38 titles from London-based Highbury House plc, it was announced today by company president Jonathan Simpson-Bint.
The acquisition comes in the middle of a banner year for the American company, filled with launches – Future Music, Future Snowboarding, Snowboarding Trade News, Scrapbook Answers – and the acquisition of The Snowboard Journal.
Publishing director Steve Aaron will oversee the newly acquired Atlanta, GA-based publications:
• Pregnancy informs and entertains on every birth and parenting topic – from conception to delivery. The timely features by established writers, best-selling authors and experts deliver a high level of reader feedback. Pregnancy is monthly with a paid rate base of 220,000 and readership of over 750,000.
• Women’s Health & Fitness is the ultimate cutting-edge lifestyle magazine for health-conscious women who expect more than just traditional topics and conventional ideas. Women’s Health & Fitness is monthly with a paid rate base of 205,000 with a total readership of 725,000.
• Decorating Spaces inspires readers with a wealth of information pertaining to the latest design trends and home accessories, tips to achieve a particular look in their home, advice from celebrity design experts and much more, all presented in an easy-to-follow and attractive package. Decorating Spaces is published 10 times a year with a paid rate base of 100,000.
• Men’s Edge is the ultimate cutting-edge lifestyle magazine for health-conscious men age 29 – 48 who live their lives with a passion for achieving success and fulfillment. Men’s Edge is monthly with a paid rate base of 150,000 and a total readership of 500,000.
• do! provides inspiration for the homeowner who is looking to improve and update their residence. The magazine’s readers embark on a long-term and short-term projects not only for aesthetic purposes but also to increase the overall value of their homes. do! is published 10 times a year and has a paid rate base of 150,000.
“These titles represent a further progression of our stated goal to be a world class provider of information for young men with a specific and narrow but very deep passion,” says Simpson-Bint, “And also – equally importantly – in Pregnancy, Decorating Spaces and Women’s Health & Fitness, we continue to develop our portfolio in to the female category as we have already begun to do with the launch of Scrapbook Answers. This building out from a solid base is both judicious and part of an ongoing strategy of growth.”
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About Future Network USA
Future is the leading US publisher of cutting-edge games, computing, action sports and musician magazines, which sell in excess of 2.2 million copies per month. Future’s publications reach a young, active, affluent male audience and rank 12th among audited newsstand publishers in gross newsstand revenue. Its market-leading titles include Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer, PSM: 100% Independent PlayStation 2 Magazine, Mobile, Maximum PC, MacAddict, Snowboarding Trade News, Skateboard Trade News, Guitar World, Guitar One, Future Music, Guitar World Acoustic, Guitar World Bass and Guitar World Legends. Future is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices in New York, Los Angeles and San Diego.
(www.futurenetworkusa.com)
About Future plc
Future plc was founded in the UK in 1985. Today, it publishes over 100 special-interest consumer magazines worldwide with strong portfolios in the computing, games, music, sports, motoring, crafts and leisure sectors. It is the sixth largest magazine publisher in the UK and last year was reported as being the fastest growing US magazine publisher at newsstand. Future employs 1,200 people in offices in the UK, US, Italy and France. Over 100 international editions of Future’s magazines are also published under licence in 30 other countries across the world. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR).
