Motor Trend Group, LLC (formerly known as Source Interlink Media and TEN: The Enthusiast Network) is a
media company
A media conglomerate, media company, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as music, television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, video games, amusement parks, or ...
that specializes in enthusiast brands, such as ''
Motor Trend
''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
'' and ''
Hot Rod
Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and ma ...
''. Headquartered in
El Segundo, California
El Segundo ( , ; ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments. The population was 17,272 as of t ...
, it was a subsidiary of the
TNT Sports
TNT Sports is the brand name for sports television channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world that are owned and operated by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The name originates from the American cable television ...
division of
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
(WBD) until being sold to
Hearst Communications
Hearst Corporation, Hearst Holdings Inc. and Hearst Communications Inc. comprise an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate owned by the Hearst family and based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan in New York ...
in 2024.
History
Source Interlink was an American magazine publishing and logistics company. It owned Source Interlink Distribution and Motor Trend Group. It maintained a strong position in automotive and action sports media, publishing a variety of magazines including ''
Motor Trend
''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
'', ''
Hot Rod
Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and ma ...
'', and the ''Transworld'' titles.
In September 2012, it was announced that Source Interlink Media (SIM) made a strategic investment in San Francisco technology company CoverHound to power its insurance searches.
Through its GrindMedia action sports division, SIM signed a deal with the
Bonnier Corporation
Bonnier LLC (formerly Bonnier Corporation) is an American "outdoor adventure" company that originally operated numerous U.S.-based media brands but struggled in the magazine publishing industry, leading to the decline or closure of several well- ...
in May 2013, where they sold ''Dirt Rider,'' ''Motorcyclist'', ''Sport Rider'', ''Motorcycle Cruiser'', ''Hot Bike'', ''Baggers'', ''Super Streetbike'', ''Street Chopper'' and ''ATV Rider'', whereas they bought Sound + Vision and the suite of TransWorld brands.
On August 19, 2013, GrindMedia announced that production of ''Skateboarder'' will cease on October 15, 2013.
The ''Skateboarder'' announcement was followed by the closure of other publications, such as ''Modified'', ''Mini Truckin''
', ''Bound By Ink'', ''GEEK'', and ''Law of Attraction'', in January 2014. Former ''Skateboarder'' editor-in-chief Jamie Owens was announced as the new editor-in-chief of ''TransWorld SKATEboarding'' in October 2013.
On May 29, 2014, Source Interlink CEO Michael L. Sullivan announced that its distribution arm would soon cease operations.
Time, Inc. had withdrawn its business over the inability of Source Interlink Distribution to pay $19 million in revenues owed for second quarter 2014 sales and $7 million for sales booked in previous quarters. The publishing arm would be rebranded under the umbrella of TEN: The Enthusiast Network after shuttering several Source Interlink Media titles, including ''
Popular Hot Rodding'', ''Rod & Custom'', ''High Performance Pontiac'', ''Custom Classic Trucks'', ''4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility'', ''Mud Life'', ''5.0 Mustangs and Super Fords'', ''Modified Mustangs & Fords'', ''Camaro Performers'', ''GM High-Tech Performance'', ''Import Tuner'', and ''Honda Tuning''. In addition to editorial staff, there were further layoffs in art and production staff that was later explained by VPs and executives as needed cuts to keep TEN on a sustainable path since losing the large distribution arm of its core business to reach the claimed audience in its dwindling circulation and online presence.
In 2015,
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...
shuttered its action sports division, and sold the
Dew Tour
The Dew Tour is an extreme sports circuit organized by Coalition 375 LLC, an alliance of elite action sports experts.
History
The tour was announced in late 2004, and made its debut in Louisville, KY in June 2005. The tour then made stops in ...
to TEN. On August 17 of that same year, TEN launched its subscription video on demand service Motor Trend OnDemand, which was the first SVOD service aimed at automotive enthusiasts. TEN CEO Scott Dickey described this community as "underserved and starved for premium video content" while positioning the SVOD service as "The Netflix for Gearheads."
In 2017, TEN sold the
AMA EnduroCross Championship to the
Bonnier Motorcycle Group. TEN also sold ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' and ''
Slam''.
On August 3, 2017,
Discovery Communications
Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1982, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Cha ...
announced it would acquire a majority stake in TEN, and contribute its automotive-oriented cable network
Velocity
Velocity is a measurement of speed in a certain direction of motion. It is a fundamental concept in kinematics, the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of physical objects. Velocity is a vector (geometry), vector Physical q ...
into the company. The venture's goal is to create a larger, multi-platform presence for the company's brands, with a particular emphasis on direct-to-consumer streaming products. On April 10, 2018, it was announced that the company had been renamed Motor Trend Group effective immediately, and that Velocity would be rebranded under the ''Motor Trend'' name later in the year.
In March 2018, the company sold ''
Sound & Vision'' and ''
Stereophile
''Stereophile'' is a monthly American audiophile magazine which reviews high-end audio equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and audio-related news.
History
''Stereophile'' was founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt. With the August 1 ...
'', along with related magazines and websites, to AVTech Media Ltd. In February 2019, the company sold its adventure sports portfolio to
American Media. In December 2019, the company announced that 19 of the 22 magazines published by the company would be discontinued that month, including ''Automobile''.
In December 2024,
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
sold the Motor Trend Group and most of its assets to
Hearst Communications
Hearst Corporation, Hearst Holdings Inc. and Hearst Communications Inc. comprise an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate owned by the Hearst family and based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan in New York ...
. The sale included ''MotorTrend'', ''Hot Rod'', ''Roadkill'' and ''Automobile.''
Titles
Publications and digital assets
* ''
Hot Rod
Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and ma ...
''
* ''
Motor Trend
''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
''
Video on demand and broadcasting
*
Motor Trend
''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
(
cable channel
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
)
* Motor Trend FAST TV (
FAST streaming channel)
* Motor Trend VELOZ TV (Spanish-language
FAST streaming channel)
The broadcasting and streaming services are retained by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Former titles
* Motor Trend+ (
subscription
The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century. It ...
streaming service
Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
) - discontinued 2024, most subscribers transferred to
Discovery+
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discov ...
* ''
Four Wheeler
''Four Wheeler'' was a magazine for Four-wheel drive, 4×4 SUVs and Off-roading, off-road truck enthusiasts, with the first issue being published in February 1962. Four Wheeler focused on new vehicles, project vehicles, technical aspects of ass ...
'' - ceased publication 2023
* ''
Roadkill
Roadkill is a wild animal that has been killed by collision with motor vehicles. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how they can be mitigated.
History
Essenti ...
'' - ceased publication as magazine 2018 and the web show will finish in 2025
Earlier discontinuations
* ''
8-Lug HD Truck magazine'' - ceased publication 2015
* ''Audiostream'' - ceased publication 2018
* ''Bound by Ink'' - ceased publication 2014
* ''Canoe & Kayak'' - ceased publication 2017
* ''Circle Track'' - ceased publication 2018
* ''Dirt Sports + Off-Road'' - ceased publication 2018
*
European Car- ceased publication 2018
* ''Geek''- ceased publication 2014
* ''Innerfidelity'' - ceased publication 2018
* ''Intellichoice'' - ceased publication 2012
* ''Law of Attraction Magazine'' - ceased publication 2013
* ''Mini Truckin''- ceased publication 2014
* ''Off-Road''- ceased publication 2019
* ''Petersen’s PHOTOgraphic'' - ceased publication 2013
* ''
Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road'' - ceased publication 2019
* ''Shutterbug'' - sold and ceased publication 2019
* ''Snowboarder'' - sold and ceased publication 2020
* ''
Surfer'' - sold and ceased publication 2019
* ''
Surfing Magazine
''Surfing Magazine'', originally titled ''International Surfing Magazine'', was a magazine that was founded in 1964 by Orange County, California, local Dick Graham and surf photographer LeRoy Grannis. Later the magazine was acquired by Adrian B. ...
'' - ceased publication 2017
* ''TransWorld Business''- sold and ceased publication 2019
* ''
TransWorld Motocross''- sold and ceased publication 2019
* ''TransWorld Ride BMX'' - sold and ceased publication 2019
* ''
TransWorld SKATEboarding
''Transworld Skateboarding'' (''TWS'') is an international magazine on skateboarding that was based in Carlsbad, California, United States. The publication also ran an accompanying website and video production company. In February 2019, the pub ...
''- sold and ceased publication 2019
* ''
TransWorld SNOWboarding
''Transworld Snowboarding'' was an American magazine and website dedicated to snowboarding culture. When it closed, the magazine had most recently been published four times a year (for many years, ''Transworld Snowboarding'' published 10 issue ...
'' - sold and ceased publication 2019
December 2019 discontinuations
* ''
Automobile
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
''
* ''
Car Craft
''Car Craft'' was a magazine devoted to automobiles, hot rodding, and drag racing. It was published by the Motor Trend Group. It was established in 1953. The magazine published articles directed at inexperienced and expert car mechanics, such a ...
''
* ''Chevy High Performance''
* ''Classic Trucks''
* ''Diesel Power Magazine''
* ''Hot Rod Deluxe''
* ''
Jp''
* ''
Lowrider
A lowrider or low rider is a customized car with a lowered body that emerged among Mexican American youth in the 1940s. ''Lowrider'' also refers to the driver of the car and their participation in lowrider car clubs, which remain a part of Chi ...
''
* ''Mopar Muscle''
* ''Muscle Car Review''
* ''Mustang Monthly''
* ''Street Rodder''
* ''Super Chevy''
* ''Super Street''
* ''
Truck Trend
''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
''
* ''
Truckin' Magazine
''Truckin' Magazine'' was a sport truck magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual conten ...
''
* ''
Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road ''
* ''Vette''
* ''Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords''
2020 discontinuations
* ''Bike'' - sold & ceased publication 2020
* ''Powder'' - sold & ceased publication 2020
* ''SUP Stand Up Paddler'' - sold & ceased publication 2020
Merchandise
* ''And1 Advertising''
See also
*
Fausto Vitello
Fausto Vitello (August 7, 1946 – April 22, 2006) was an Argentine-American businessman, magazine publisher, and skateboarder. Vitello was the creator of ''Thrasher'' Magazine and co-founder of Independent Trucks.
Early life
Vitello was born ...
References
External links
*
{{Clear
Magazine publishing companies of the United States
Publishing companies established in 2007
Companies based in El Segundo, California
Former Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiaries
Hearst Communications assets
2024 mergers and acquisitions