Future, the special interest publisher, today announces the launch of its 100th digital edition for iPad, with sales of digital editions and bespoke apps on tablets now on track to become one of the company’s biggest drivers of revenue and profit growth.
Mark Wood, CEO of Future UK, says: ”Future has established itself as one of the UK’s most successful digital publishers on the iPad. Sales revenues have been growing at more than 10% a month this year and have now gone past the £2m-a-year mark
“We anticipate that the launch of Apple’s Newsstand this Autumn will significantly accelerate digital magazine sales on the iPad while the roll-out of Android devices – reaching audiences fresh to the tablet experience – will create new and fast-growing revenue streams. We therefore expect tablets to be one of our biggest growth drivers in the year ahead.”
This week’s digital launch is the UK edition of Official Xbox Magazine, Future’s 100th regular digital edition on the Zinio iPad store. Alongside these, Future offers an array of bespoke interactive apps – from T3, the gadget and lifestyle brand which is the most popular UK magazine in the App store, to one-off tutorial apps covering activities ranging from software programming through to photography and guitar techniques.
Future, one of the UK’s largest magazine publishers, is committed to a rapid shift towards digital delivery of its titles. Using the iPad and other tablets, it is reaching passionate new audiences in all parts of the world with its specialist brands, covering interest areas including electronic games, technology, cycling, music, automotive, crafts and photography.
Earlier this month Future announced a reorganisation of its UK business to ensure faster adaptation to digital and more efficient execution of print. The plans include the divestment and closure of a small number of titles from Future’s 80+ portfolio.
Mark adds: “We have taken action to make our print magazine production as efficient as possible so that we can switch resources and investment into the fast-growing digital areas. Our UK print magazine sales are holding up well and new launches have made a significant impact. But we see the biggest growth coming from the digital markets. Our ability to generate very fast-growing revenues on the iPad is turning Future into a digital publisher at very great speed.”
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About Future
Future is a leader in the field of digital publishing and was named Consumer Digital Publisher of the Year at the annual Association of Online Publishers Awards – becoming the first magazine publisher to win the Award. Future also won the Grand Prix Award at the event in June. Its web and mobile sites deliver 160 million page impressions every month to over 25 million unique users*. Future delivers more than 100 digital editions and bespoke apps through the rapidly growing iPad platform and is developing product for new tablet devices coming on stream. Digital now accounts for a third of all Future’s commercial revenues. And its development of video on demand and apps is rightly regarded as market leading. Technology brand T3 is leading the way on iPad, becoming one of the top grossing apps in the UK and one of the very few five star apps in the world. The Future digital portfolio includes award winning and hugely respected brands including: www.techradar.com, www.cyclingnews.com, www.gamesradar.com, www.computerandvideogames.com, www.musicradar.com and www.bikeradar.com.
* source: comScore Digital Analytix, June 2011
For more information please contact Chris Taylor: chris.taylor@futurenet.com, 0207 042 4033
