Haymarket Network has won the contract to produce what it claims is the world’s largest distribution sports magazine – a new contract title produced for Sky Sports.
The magazine, titled Sky Sports, will be available monthly to more than four million subscribers to the Sky Sports TV channels.
Though it began as a division of Haymarket Group, Haymarket Network is now a separate company whose portfolio includes the official British Army magazine and Manchester United’s matchday programme.
The Sky Sports deal comes just three months after the appointment of new Haymarket Network managing director Juliet Slot.
Slot worked on the successful 2010 London Olympics bid, was commercial manager at Fulham football club and worked for sportswear brand Adidas in Germany. Although this is her first publishing post, she is confident she can bring something new to the business. She said: ‘Next year we are going to publish more than 63 million magazines – and that’s just existing business. We’re looking to expand into new sectors and we can say to people: ‘We understand your sector, this is why and this is how we can help you communicate with your customers and employees’.’Slot is currently searching for a new editor for Sky Sports, and a group editor to look after the company’s sporting titles.
In a separate deal Future Publishing, publisher of Total Film and T3, has won the rights to publish Sky Movies magazine, which first arrived last month. Also reaching four million people, it is produced ‘in association’with Total Film and will use comment and analysis from its movie experts.
Both new Sky magazines will offer original editorial content, as well as listings and previews.
The right to publish Sky’s main contract title Sky Magazine (the UK’s biggest distribution magazine) was won in November by News Magazines, the consumer publishing division of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation’s UK subsidiary, News International.
The title has a circulation of more than six million Sky subscribers, and had been published by John Brown Publishing since 2002.
The changeover will take place in the summer. John Brown management were unavailable for comment when asked whether the loss of the contract will lead to job cuts.
News Corporation owns 39 per cent of BSkyB, but according to News Magazines, bidding for the contract was ‘fiercely competitive”.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog