Future plc

Country: United Kingdom

Region: Europe

Price: 195 EUR

Description:

Future plc is a special-interest media business, listed on the London Stock Exchange. It produces more than 80 regular newsstand magazines alongside 1,500 hours of multi-media content, 62 websites and 25 annual live events. The Group has strong market positions in all of its sectors: games, music & movies, technology, sports, automotive and crafts. The majority of Future products appeal to the young male demographic. While over three-quarters of the Group’s business is built on its own brands, it also operates a number of highly successful publishing partnerships with some of the world’s most respected companies.

In games, guitars, film, personal computing and cycling, Future holds very strong leadership positions. In other segments, the market is more fragmented but the Company holds a number of attractive positions.

In December 2004, the Group announced an intention to double its size by 2008, and in June 2005 acquired a number of titles from Highbury House Communications. The financial results from this acquisition were disappointing and coincided with a period of reduced profits. In 2006, the Board scaled back the ambitious policy of rapid expansion, and appointed a new Chief Executive, Stevie Spring, who set out the Group’s new strategy in the Annual Report 2006. In 2007, the Group vigorously implemented the new strategy. It sold or closed 51 weaker titles, and disposed of Future Italy and Future France. The Group is now concentrating on its key strategy of providing English-language content in key sectors, cross-platform.