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9 News
10-07-2025
- Business
- 9 News
Some of Australia's most popular magazine titles are up for sale
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here BREAKING Multiple pedestrians hit by car in Melbourne The owner of magazine publisher Are Media has signalled plans to sell off its print assets, including legacy title Australian Women's Weekly. Mercury Capital purchased the stable of popular magazine titles, once separately owned by Bauer Media Australia & New Zealand and Pacific Magazines, in 2020. Five years on, Mercury has made a move to offload some of Australia's biggest magazine titles. Mercury Capital has made a move to offload some of Australia's biggest magazine titles. (Are Media) Are Media publishes 20 titles – among them are marie claire, ELLE, New Idea, that's life!, Take 5, Woman's Day, WHO, Better Homes and Garrden and Gourmet Traveller. The company also owns a freight and logistics business named Are Direct, which delivers the magazines around the country. Are Media chief executive Jane Huxley reportedly told staff of Mercury's plans this week but assured them it is still business as usual. Are Media magazine titles including the Australian Women's Weekly and Woman's Day. (Australian Women's Weekly/Are Media/Supplied) Mercury Capital acquired Bauer Media's Australian print and digital assets in June 2020 for an estimated $40 to $50 million. In March that year, Bauer Media bought Seven West Media's Pacific Magazines, acquiring the likes of Girlfriend and Men's Health. The acquisition brought rival titles under the one roof. KMPG is expected to lead the sales process but it is understood Mercury isn't looking for a quick sale. media Australia national money CONTACT US
Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Listener, NZ Woman's Weekly for sale
Are Media, which publishes the Listener and New Zealand Woman's Weekly, is for sale. Photo: RNZ (file) New Zealand magazines including the Listener, Woman's Day and New Zealand Woman's Weekly are for sale after its publisher has been put on the market. Investment firm Mercury Capital is seeking a buyer for Are Media, which operated a range of titles in New Zealand and Australia. In a statement, a spokesperson said "further to recent speculation, and on the back of a number of market enquiries and approaches, we can confirm that a decision has been made to commence a sale process for Are Media, Australia's leading omnichannel content company for women." KPMG Corporate Finance had been engaged to run a formal sale process. Various media were reporting that staff were told the company was up for sale by email from Are Media chief executive Jane Huxley. Are Media was formed after German publisher Bauer Media pulled out of the magazine market in the region during the Covid-19 pandemic. In New Zealand, the magazines include some of the countries oldest and, at times, best read. The New Zealand Woman's Weekly was first published in 1932 with 7000 copies and its publisher said it was hoping to offer "usefulness, cheerfulness and happiness" to readers in the Depression. The New Zealand Listener was launched seven years later in 1939, as the journal of the National Broadcasting Service. With the introduction of television in June 1960, the Listener started publishing weekly TV listings, along with topical articles, editorials, letters to the editor and reviews. Its publicity material says it is at "forefront of the issues that matter". Area Media in New Zealand also publishes Your Home and Garden and the Air New Zealand in-flight magazine Kia Ora.
RNZ News
10-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Magazines Listener, NZ Woman's Weekly put up for sale by owner
New Zealand magazines like the Listener and Woman's Weekly are up for sale. (File photo) Photo: RNZ New Zealand magazines like the Listener, Woman's Day and New Zealand Woman's Weekly are up for sale after its publisher has been put on the market. Investment firm Mercury Capital was seeking a buyer for Are Media, which operated a range of titles in New Zealand and Australia. In a statement, a spokesperson said "further to recent speculation, and on the back of a number of market enquiries and approaches, we can confirm that a decision has been made to commence a sale process for Are Media, Australia's leading omnichannel content company for women." KPMG Corporate Finance had been engaged to run a formal sale process. Various media were reporting staff were told the company was up for sale by email from Are Media CEO Jane Huxley. Are Media was formed after the German publisher Bauer Media pulled out of the magazine market in the region during the Covid-19 pandemic. In New Zealand, the magazines include some of the countries oldest and, at times, best read. The New Zealand Woman's Weekly was first published in 1932 with 7000 copies and its publisher said it was hoping to offer "usefulness, cheerfulness and happiness" to readers in the Depression. The New Zealand Listener was launched seven years later in 1939, as the journal of the National Broadcasting Service. With the introduction of television in June 1960, the Listener started publishing weekly TV listings, along with topical articles, editorials, letters to the editor and reviews. Its publicity material says it is at "forefront of the issues that matter". Area Media in New Zealand also publishes Your Home and Garden and the Air New Zealand in-flight magazine, Kia Ora. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Spinoff
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
Listener and Woman's Weekly publisher Are Media is up for sale
The home of some of New Zealand and Australia's most popular magazines is looking for a buyer. But why now and who are the top contenders to take over? In 2020, the media landscape of New Zealand and Australia changed forever with the closure of Bauer Media. Covid-19 led to the German-owned business reviewing its global operations and deciding to exit the market here and across the Tasman. At the time, Bauer owned approximately 70% of the magazine market in New Zealand. The decision sent shockwaves through the industry, and led to the sale of the company's assets to various new owners. A number of Bauer's most successful Australian and New Zealand titles such as the Listener, New Zealand Woman's Weekly, Woman's Day and Kia Ora were sold to Sydney-based Mercury Capital, which rebranded the company as Are Media. The transaction was estimated to cost between $44-54 million and came just five years after Bauer paid $572m for ACP Magazines. Now, five years on from the purchase, the portfolio is once again up for sale. The decision to sell Are Media was confirmed in an email sent to staff members earlier this week from chief executive Jane Huxley: 'After careful consideration, Mercury and our Board have decided it's time to begin the process of finding a new owner for the Are Media Group.' Are Media was part of Mercury's $600m fund, which includes the likes of ticketing and event promotion and technology company TEG. It is one of four funds managed by the company, with the total amount under management by Mercury Capital amounting to approximately $1.3 billion. While it is common practice for equity firms such as Mercury Capital to purchase these types of investments, implement a lean management approach, and then sell quickly, Mercury has held Are Media for around five years. 'This decision comes from a place of strength and optimism. We've built incredibly strong foundations, and now it's time to take the next step,' Huxley told staff. Although the titles have retained a loyal following, declining circulation numbers and ongoing battles with advertising spend shifting to social and digital platforms has been an issue for the business – and indeed the industry as a whole. However, the Australian media market is faring slightly better than New Zealand, primarily due to Australia's larger population and more diversified economy. It is unknown if Mercury Capital intends to split the New Zealand assets from the Australian titles or sell them as a whole. If the assets are split, New Zealand's largest multimedia company NZME could be a frontrunner for the purchase of the New Zealand titles. The New Zealand Listener's online presence and subscriptions are currently managed by NZME's subsidiary the New Zealand Herald. The Listener magazine remains the country's second-most popular magazine, behind only to AA Directions. Last year, the Listener increased its readership to 220,000, up 2,000 compared from 12 months earlier. NZ Woman's Day was third and Kia Ora in fourth, with readership increasing by 14,000 to 145,000 and by 12,000 to 137,000 respectively. The sale will be led by KPMG, and follows a recent announcement of a strategic partnership between Are Media and United States publishers Dotdash Meredith. 'I know that announcements like this can create uncertainty, and that's completely normal,' the email read. 'We've built strong foundations over the five years, and now it's time to take the next step. In the meantime, we are focussed on business as usual.'
