View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Publishers
  2. B2B
November 23, 2016

Future boosts operating profit helped by e-commerce, but revenue declines – full-year results

By Freddy Mayhew

Consumer magazine publisher Future has recorded a boost in operating profit over the year to September while overall group and magazine revenue has declined.

The publisher of more than 50 print titles, apps and websites – including Total Film, SFX and PC Gamer –  saw operating profit rise by 188 per cent from £0.8m the year before to £2.3m.

E-commerce revenues were said to be up by 187 per cent year-on-year.

Revenue for the  media division, which represents 41 per cent of the total, was up by 14 per cent year-on-year to £23.9m.

Brands techradar.com and PC Gamer recorded revenue growth of 49 per cent and 43 per cent respectively.

Magazine revenue fell overall from £38.9m to £35.1m.

Total revenue was down by £0.8m to £59m.

Content from our partners
Free journalism awards for journalists under 30: Deadline today
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition

Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne said: “Our strategy to create a leading global specialist media platform with data at its heart, monetised through diversified revenue streams, has delivered extremely positive results with Media division revenue growth of 14 per cent year-on-year.

“We focus on content that connects with our substantial and growing audience base and monetise their needs through increasingly diversified revenue streams, which include e-commerce, event sponsorship, digital advertising, licensing, content publishing, subscriptions, newstrade sales and event ticketing.

“We are also taking advantage of the fragmented print market and have substantially increased our scale and sector coverage with a number of acquisitions – most notably Imagine Publishing in October 2016. Imagine transforms the scale of the business and brings significant operational synergies and cash generation opportunities.”

The financial report follows Future’s acquisition of Imagine Publishing in October in a deal worth £15.9m.

Read the results in full.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network