UK & US Circulation update
February 12 2004 - 11:05AM
UK Regulatory
RNS Number:3539V
Future Network PLC
12 February 2004
12 February 2004
The Future Network plc
UK and US circulation update
The Future Network plc (LSE: FNET), the international magazine Group, today
releases the latest ABC audited circulation figures for 48 titles in its UK
portfolio of 60 monthly magazines and the latest circulation figures for its US
magazines. Average monthly sales in the UK for the audited titles were slightly
up at 1,787,825 copies, and were up by 23.6% to 1,906,828 copies in the US.
UK circulation highlights:
* During the last year, Future has developed its UK magazine portfolio
by both launches and acquisitions, whilst two titles have been closed. The
overall UK trends for Future's portfolio are (i) growth in entertainment; (ii)
enhanced position within games; (iii) respectable performance for computing
titles in difficult market conditions.
* The Entertainment division produced a strong performance, with an
overall increase of 9.3% year on year to 743,800 copies per month. All Future's
guitar titles increased with Total Guitar up 12.1% year on year. Modified car
magazine Redline was up 9.8% year on year at 72,106. Total Film continued its
impressive growth record with its 13th successive rise, a year-on-year increase
of 5.4% to 90,580.
* Future's UK games magazines increased sales by 4.2% to 667,085 copies
per month. Official PlayStation 2 Magazine continued its first-half performance
at 188,322. Official Xbox Magazine increased sales by 43% year on year to
82,732. Future's UK games magazines continued to out-perform the sector as a
whole, with share increasing from 62% to 69% year on year by volume and from 66%
to 73% by value.
* Future's computing titles achieved respectable sales in a difficult
sector, with total sales down 11.5% year on year at 376,940 copies per month.
Some of Future's newer digital titles showed strong growth. Microsoft Windows
XP; The Official Magazine was up 34.6% at 67,767, Digital Camera Magazine was up
14.4% to 33,221 and Linux Format increased 11.5% to 26,044.
US circulation highlights:
* Overall, US circulation increased by 23.6% year on year, partly
reflecting the significant expansion of Future in the US by the recent
acquisitions of Guitar World and Guitar One.
* Future's US Games magazine circulation growth has been driven by a 39%
increase from Official Xbox Magazine, which is now Future's largest selling
magazine of any sort at 403,222 copies per month.
* Future continues to publish the largest selling PlayStation, Xbox and
PC games magazines in the US.
Greg Ingham, Chief Executive of The Future Network, commented:
"Overall these are satisfactory circulation figures. Future is a portfolio
business with some notable rises and falls, but growth overall. The benefits of
diversity are shown by a strong performance in the Entertainment division in the
UK and the promising start of our recently-acquired guitar magazines in the US.
"Within Games, the UK and US growth in Xbox is pleasing. And it is a real
achievement to have grown share in the UK and to be the platform leaders again
in the US.
"The Computing magazine sector continues to be tough, as expected. But we have
found growth in newer titles and this reflects well on our teams."
9 January pre-close trading update:
On 9 January 2004, Future issued a pre-close trading update which stated that
the Board expected Group turnover for the year 2003 to exceed that for 2002 by
approximately 11%; that the Group's magazine portfolio overall had continued to
make progress; and that the Board remained confident that the Group's profits
for the year 2003 would be in line with consensus market expectations.
The Company's financial results for calendar year 2003 will be announced on
Wednesday 10 March 2004 and will be available on the Company's website at
www.thefuturenetwork.plc.uk
For further information:
The Future Network plc 01225 442244
Greg Ingham, Chief Executive
John Bowman, Group Finance Director
Hogarth Partnership 020 7357 9477
James Longfield/Georgina Briscoe
Notes to Editors:
A list of the ABC circulation figures for each audited UK title and publishers'
estimates for the US titles is attached. The UK ABCs are the audited
circulation figures for the twelve months January to December 2003 unless where
stated. Future currently publishes 60 monthly magazines in the UK, out of a
total of over 90 titles across the group.
The annual comparison includes continuing magazines, acquisitions and first time
ABCs but excludes closures and disposals.
The audited circulation figures for Future's US titles will be published by ABC
on 16 February 2004 and will subsequently be available at http://
www.accessabc.com/.
About The Future Networkplc
The Future Network was founded in the UK in 1985. Today, it publishes over 90
consumer magazines worldwide, is the world's leading publisher of games and
guitar magazines and is the fifth largest consumer magazine publisher in the UK.
Approximately half of the Group's turnover relates to UK magazines sales.
Future employs around 1,000 people in offices in the UK, US, France and Italy.
In addition, 100 international editions of Future's magazines are also published
in 30 other countries across the world.
The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FNET).
A breakdown of the ABC figures for The Future Network's
individual UK titles audited for the period for Jan - Dec 2003 and Jul - Dec
2003
Entertainment Jan - Dec 2003 (except where marked)
Total Film 90,580 (Jul - Dec 2003)
Cross Stitcher 72,215
Redline 72,106 (Jul - Dec 2003)
T3 53,349
MBUK 49,287
United - Official Man Utd Magazine 45,550
TotalGuitar 43,113
Classic Rock 40,347 (Jul - Dec 2003)
SFX 38,402
Quick & Easy Cross Stitch * 29,275
Metal Hammer 29,274 (Jul - Dec 2003)
Guitarist 26,550
Computer Music 24,928
Cycling Plus 23,338
Future Music 21,272
Guitar Techniques 19,746
Good Woodworking 18,015
Computer Music Special (quarterly *) 17,689
Hi Fi Choice 11,420
What Guitar * 8,826
Rhythm 8,518
Games Jul - Dec 2003
PlayStation Magazines
Official PlayStation 2 Magazine 188,322
PlayStation World (acquisition) 66,525
PSM2 43,684
Official PlayStation 2 Special Edition (bimonthly) 22,677
Cheatzone (replaces Official PlayStation 2 Tips) 18,500
Max - PS2 Gaming 13,175
Xbox Magazines
Official Xbox Magazine 82,732
Xbox World (acquisition *) 22,310
Xbox Gamer 20,573
Official Xbox Special (quarterly) 16,239
Other Games Magazines
PC Gamer 64,070
GamesMaster 53,902
Edge 27,318
NGC 27,058
Digital Jan - Dec 2003 (except where marked)
Microsoft Windows XP: The Official Magazine 67,767 (Jul - Dec 2003)
PC Plus 57,201
PC Format 50,015
Digital Camera Magazine 33,221 (Jul - Dec 2003)
PC Answers 31,232
Linux Format 26,044
Computer Arts 22,888
.net 18,685
MacFormat 16,328
Computer Arts Projects 16,173
Internet Works 14,071
3D World 12,978
Internet Advisor 10,337
Total 1,787,825
* first time ABC
Publishers' estimates of the ABC and BPA figures for The Future Network's
individual US titles for the period for Jul - Dec 2003
Games Jul - Dec 2003
Official Xbox Magazine 403,222
PSM 401,890
PC Gamer 307,691
Computing
Maximum PC 312,907
MacAddict 180,414
Entertainment
Guitar World (acquisition) 178,451
Guitar One (acquisition) 122,253
Total 1,906,828
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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