Immediate Media Company Limited (styled as Immediate Media Co) is a British multinational publishing house that currently publishes a significant range of titles, including ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves ...

, BBC Top Gear, BBC Good Food'' and a host of others. In H1 2018, the company's titles reported a combined ABC circulation of 1.59 million, including 1.1M active subscribers. In 2018 it reported selling 70+ million magazines. The publishing house is owned by

Hubert Burda Media Hubert Burda Media Holding is a German media group with headquarters in Offenburg. It originated as a small printing business, founded by Franz Burda Snr in Philippsburg, in 1903. In 1986, the corporate group was divided up between Franz Jnr ...

, and is an agglomeration of Magicalia, Origin Publishing and BBC Magazines, publishing both media content and software platforms. Approximately 85% of its revenue is from content services, with the remainder from advertising.

History

Immediate Media originated from the combined assets of several formerly independent publishing houses, including BBC Magazines, Magicalia,

Future plc Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...

, Hitched and

Jewellery Maker Jewellery Maker is a British jewellery shopping channel that launched on 4 May 2010 and is a sister channel of Sewing Quarter. The presentation and format of the channel is similar to the crafting channel Create & Craft. Jewellery Maker is a ...

. In late 2011 the BBC's magazine-publishing business was sold to Exponent Private Equity, following clearance by the

Office of Fair Trading The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) was a non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforced both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the United Kingdom's economic regu ...

. Exponent had previously acquired Magicalia Limited'','' a digital

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

and platform provider based in London. Magicalia was founded in 1999 by Adam Laird and Jeremy Tapp. Its inaugural website was bikemagic.com. In 2000, it began offering B2B publishing services, with clients such as '' Runner's World'' magazine. In 2011 Magicalia's assets were combined with those of Origin Publishing and BBC Magazines to form Immediate. Tom Bureau, then-CEO of Magicalia, became the Chief Executive of the new company. In May 2014 Immediate acquired

's sport and craft titles. The sport portfolio included the websites Bikeradar.com and Cyclingnews.com and the magazines '' Cycling Plus'', '' Procycling and

Mountain Biking UK ''Mountain Biking UK'' (often shortened to ''MBUK'') is a British mountain biking magazine. It is published by Our Media, an Immediate Media group company, and is currently the UK's best-selling mountain bike magazine, with a circulation of 2 ...

.'' The craft titles included ''Love Patchwork'' and ''Quilting, Simply Knitting, and Mollie Makes''. In January 2015, Immediate acquired Hitched.co.uk, a UK wedding planning brand. In November 2015 Immediate acquired its first television property, ''

'', a TV and online commerce platform, from the Genuine Gemstone Company, adding to its Crafts and Arts portfolio. Jewellery Maker employed over 100 people at the time of its acquisition. It has since expanded into TV, video and

e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manag ...

. Hubert Burda Media acquired Immediate in 2017, for £270 million (5-6 x

EBITDA A company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (commonly abbreviated EBITDA, pronounced , , or ) is a measure of a company's profitability of the operating business only, thus before any effects of indebtedness, stat ...

). In 2019, Immediate sold '' Procycling'' magazine and the Cyclingnews.com website to

Divisions

TV and Entertainment

is a British weekly television and radio programme

listings magazine A listings magazine is a magazine which is largely dedicated to information about the upcoming week's events such as broadcast programming, music, clubs, theatre and film information. The BBC's ''Radio Times'' was the world's first listing ...

, founded in 1923 by John Reith, the then general manager of the BBC. It was the world's first broadcast listings magazine. The title was published entirely in-house by BBC Magazines from 1937 until 2011, when the BBC Magazines division was sold to Immediate. Its peak weekly circulation was 8.8 million. In 2014 it accounted for 60% of Immediate's profit. It is the UK's biggest-selling magazine, with a weekly print ABC of 577,087, and the UK's biggest weekly subscription title, with 271,237 subscribers in 2018.

Sport

*220 Triathlon *BikeRadar * Cycling Plus *

*Outdoors Magic *Urban Cyclist *What Mountain Bike

Homes and Gardening

BBC Gardeners' World ''BBC Gardeners' World'' is a monthly British gardening magazine owned by Immediate Media Company, containing tips for gardening from past and current presenters of the television series '' Gardeners' World''. History and profile ''BBC Gardener ...

*Gardens Illustrated * Antiques Roadshow *Homes & Antiques *The Recommended

Crafts

* Cardmaking & Papercraft * Cross Stitch Crazy * Cross Stitch Gold * Get into Craft *

* Love Crochet * Love Knitting * Love Patchwork & Quilting * Mollie Makes * Papercraft Inspirations * Quick Cards Made Easy * Sewing Quarter * Simply Crochet * Simply Knitting * Simply Sewing * The Knitter * The World of Cross Stitching * The Yarn Loop * Today's Quilter * Ultimate Cross Stitch * We Love Craft

Motoring

* BBC Top Gear

Parents and children

Immediate says that it has the largest market share in the UK children's magazines sector, with a total ABC-audited circulation of 780,194. * Giggly.co.uk * Junior * Made For Mums

Weddings

* Hitched.co.uk * Perfect Wedding * You & Your Wedding

Specialist

* BBC Easy Cook * BBC Countryfile * BBC Good Food * BBC History * BBC Match of the Day *

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...

* BBC Science Focus * BBC Sky at Night Magazine * BBC Wildlife * Delicious * Healthy Food Guide *

History Extra ''BBC History Magazine'' is a British publication devoted to both British and world history and aimed at all levels of knowledge and interest. The publication releases thirteen editions a year, one per month and a Christmas special edition, an ...

* History Revealed * Homes and * Planet Traveller * Olive * Science and Nature * Top of the Pops

Youth and Children

* Andy's Amazing Adventures * Art-Draw and Create * Baby Shark * BBC CBeebies * BBC CBeebies ART * BBC CBeebies Special * BBC Match of the Day Magazine * BBC Match of the Day Specials * BBC Top of the Pops Magazine * Disney Frozen * Disney Frozen Fun Time * Disney Stars * Disney Princess Create and Collect * Girl Talk * Hatchimals * Lego Ninjago * Lego Disney Princesses * Lego Superhero Legends * Lego Star Wars * Lego Specials * Lego Giant Series * Lego City * MEGA! * PJ Masks * Pokémon * Ultimate Series

Platforms and other revenue

Some Immediate brands serve as e-commerce marketplaces. These include the wedding site hitched.co.uk and the TV shopping arm of Jewellery Maker. In July 2022, Immediate launched The Recommended, an internet shopping guide devoted to e-commerce recommendations and buyers' guides. Immediate also organises live events such as the Radio Times Festival. Immediate sells market research services based around its consumer panel, which the company says has 14,000 respondents. The firm also provides data analytics, loyalty publishing and IP licensing.

References

* https://flashesandflames.com/2018/12/14/uks-immediate-brings-growth-back-to-magazines/

External links

Immediate Media Company
{{Authority control Publishing companies of England Publishing companies based in London BBC publications Mass media in London Companies established in 2011