Just three months after swooping in to purchase Us Weekly from Wenner Media for a reported $100 million after Wenner’s negotiations with Tronc fell through, American Media, Inc. has followed up by purchasing another Wenner title, Men’s Journal, for an undisclosed sum.
It’s the first time the monthly, which was founded by Jann Wenner in 1992, has changed hands over its 25-year history.
The acquisition of the often fitness-oriented Men’s Journal seems a logical one for AMI, whose portfolio already boasts titles like Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness Hers, and Flex.
“AMI further establishes itself as a premium content producer by adding another respected media brand with a highly engaged, affluent audience,” said AMI CEO, David Pecker, in a prepared statement. “We look forward to continuing its unique editorial perspective and quality to deliver a powerful resource for both readers and advertisers.”
Citing data from ComScore, AMI says Men’s Journal has a total print and digital audience of “nearly five million,” and that unique visitors to its website have more than doubled since late 2014, while, according to data from the Alliance for Audited Media, print subscriptions and single-copy sales have seen modest declines over the same period.
As for Wenner Media, whose portfolio now consists of 51 percent of Rolling Stone and video game-focused digital offshoot Glixel, what happens next is anyone’s guess.
