Swedish publishing giant Bonnier Group’s US subsidiary Bonnier Corporation has bought nine leading American motorcycling titles from Source Interlink Media. The purchase brings together the top two US magazines by circulation, Motorcyclist and Cycle World — which Bonnier already owned.
Besides Motorcyclist, other titles involved in the deal are Sport Rider, Dirt Rider, Motorcycle Cruiser, Hot Bike, Baggers, Super Streetbike, Street Chopper and ATV Rider. With Cycle World, this combined collection will form the Bonnier Motorcycle Group, which the company claims will become the largest bike enthusiast media group globally. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“The acquisition supports Bonnier’s strategy to be focused in vertical enthusiast interest media,” said Bonnier Corporation chief executive Dave Freygang. “We believe in going deep into selected verticals, and it’s essential that our brands be in a leadership position within those verticals. Since the acquisition of Cycle World in 2011, we’ve realised that opportunities within the motorcycle market are significant.”
Sweden’s Bonnier Group is a 200-year-old multimedia business, based in Stockholm and still privately owned by the founding Bonnier family. It has operations in more than 20 countries including the UK, with magazine divisions in the USA, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Spain.
Bonnier Corporation was formed in 2007 when Bonnier acquired a portfolio of 18 periodicals from Time Inc and combined those assets with its existing US magazine subsidiary World Publications. It now has more than 30 titles spread across a range of male-oriented interests, over 750 staff and annual revenue exceeding £140m.