Dennis Publishing has announced the £3m launch of a new weekly fitness magazine for men.
Coach has a claimed print editorial staff of ten with a further seven working on the website. Coachmag.co.uk incorporates the website of existing Dennis title Men’s Fitness.
Coach as a free distribution of 300,000. Some 200,000 copies will be hand-distributed in London and a further 100,000 are to be available nationally at sports clubs, gyms, hotels and shops.
Coach joins existing profitable free weekly men’s magazines Shortlist, which has a circulation of 500,000, and Sport, 300,000.
The move comes weeks after music title NME went free with a launch distribution of 300,000.
Dennis said of its new launch: “At the core of the Coach concept is the idea that all men can improve themselves – whether long-standing gym enthusiasts or fitness newbies.
“Dennis defined the audience clusters using TGI and extensive focus group data which proved that almost half of men aged 24-55 in the UK want to do more to improve their health.
“As everyone’s health and fitness interests are as unique as their fingerprint, the magazine mixes general advice, interesting tips, amazing facts and inspiration in an easy to consume package.”
The print edition is being edited by former FHM editor Ed Needham. Men's Fitness editor Joe Barnes will edit the website.
Needham said: “Men want activities that they enjoy and which keep them interested, plenty of inspiration and motivation to get them started and keep them at it, loads of useful information and goals that feel achievable, and all in a package that entertains and fires the imagination. Coach offers readers just that every week.”
Dennis managing director Ian Westwood said: “We’ve been planning the launch of Coach for over a year, researching every detail to ensure that it offers the best possible content package for readers and a highly valuable and targeted audience for advertisers.
“You just need to look around you to see that men’s attitude to fitness is shifting – we saw a gap in the market for a magazine that helps men to make practical, manageable changes to improve their lives. Coach does exactly that.”
Men’s Health is the highest selling paid-for men’s magazine with a monthly circulation of 193,901.
Following the death of company founder Felix Dennis in June 2014, Dennis Publishing is now run by the board with all profits going to charity the Heart of England Forest.
Coach is the fifth launch from Dennis this year. The others are websites: Alpha.com, TheCyclist.co.uk, Mentalfloss.com and Minecraft World.
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