Future Network USA Jumps to #11 Spot in Ranking of Top 50 Newsstand Publishing Companies
(November 3, 2005)
Retail Sales Continue to Grow in First Half 2005
Brisbane, CA (November 3, 2005) – Future Network USA, a leading publisher of cutting-edge games, action sports, computing and musician magazines, leaped up two notches to the 11th spot in Circulation Management magazine’s ranking of the top 50 audited newsstand publishers in retail sales, an impressive feat in today’s uncertain newsstand environment.
According to Circulation Management’s October 2005 issue, Future Network USA’s titles saw a 1.5% gain in retail sales, jumping from $24,174,000 in first half 2004 to $24,548,000 in first half 2005. Future now sits above TV Guide (13th) and major competitor Ziff Davis (15th) on Circulation Management’s list of the top 50 newsstand publishers by retail sales.
Thanks to the continued innovative inclusion of exclusive premiums (namely DVDs and CD-ROMs) with most newsstand copies, retail consumers spend significantly more money on Future titles than any other magazines on the newsstand. The average cover price of a Future publication rose to $8.09, while the average U.S. magazine cover price of the top 50 audited publications fell to $3.31.
The first half of 2005 also saw Future expand its portfolio significantly with the acquisition of six specialty U.S. titles from London-based Highbury House plc and the successful launches of Future Music, Future Snowboarding, Snowboard Trade News, and Scrapbook Answers. And according to the first half 2005 ABC FAS-FAX report, Future’s Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) continued to have more subscribers and newsstand circulation than any other officially licensed games publication in the U.S. OXM will increase its rate base to 425,000 in January 2006.
“In a period generally marked by industry-wide flat sales, we’re thrilled to see Future have such an incredible phase of growth not only in retail revenues, but in the sheer volume of titles we’ve made available,” said Future Network USA president Jonathan Simpson-Bint. “We’ve clearly been able to reach our passionate newsstand readers in an effective and creative way, and will continue to do so for years to come.”
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About Future
Future is the leading US publisher of cutting-edge games, computing, action sports and musician magazines, which sell in excess of 2.5 million copies per month. Future’s publications reach a young, active, affluent male audience and rank 11From th among audited newsstand publishers in gross newsstand revenue. Its market-leading titles include Official Xbox Magazine, PSM: 100% Independent PlayStation 2 Magazine, PC Gamer, Maximum PC, MacAddict, Scrapbook Answers, Future Snowboarding Magazine, Snowboard Journal, Snowboard Trade News, Skateboard Trade News, Guitar World, Guitar One, Future Music, Guitar World Acoustic, Guitar World Bass and Guitar World Legends. Future also publishes Cheat Planet.com, the fourth largest games information destination online, as well Next Generation, the leading US game industry trade news website.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 150 special-interest consumer magazines worldwide with strong portfolios in the computing, games, music, sports, automotive, crafts and leisure sectors. It is the [sixth] fifth largest magazine publisher in the UK and last year was reported as being the fastest growing US magazine publisher at newsstand. Future employs 1,450 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). For more information about Future plc visit www.futureplc.com.
