Meredith to Acquire FamilyFun Magazine From Disney Publishing Worldwide

Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP; ) announced today that it has signed an agreement with Disney Publishing Worldwide to acquire the assets of FamilyFun.  The acquisition includes the highly popular magazine, with an audience of 6 million and rate base of 2.1 million; its special interest publications; and its ToyHopper and digital magazine applications.  Financial terms were not disclosed, and it will not have a material effect on Meredith’s 2012 financial performance. The acquisition is expected to close within 30 days.

We are delighted to add the FamilyFunbrand to our expanding media portfolio,” says Meredith National Media Group President Tom Harty. “This acquisition further strengthens our leadership position and reach among women in both the parenthood and food spaces, and offers our advertisers additional channels to reach these consumers.”

“FamilyFun‘s rich content has led to the growth of its loyal readership base over its 20-year history, and we look forward to watching the magazine continue to grow under its new owner,” says Russell Hampton, President, Disney Publishing Worldwide.  “Moving forward, Disney Publishing Worldwide will focus on our core children’s magazine and book businesses, our rapidly growing digital initiatives, and our Disney English language learning program.”

FamilyFun targets moms with kids ages 3-12 with a focus on family activities such as cooking, crafts, celebrations and travel.  Launched in 1991, FamilyFun has a median age of 35, and 60 percent of its readers are college-educated.  FamilyFun will report to Carey Witmer, President of the Meredith Parents Network.  The first issue of FamilyFun published by Meredith is expected to be March 2012.

Meredith is already a leader in the parenthood space with brands such as Parents and American Baby.  The addition of FamilyFun increases Meredith’s share of parenthood category magazine advertising revenues to nearly 60 percent, according to Publishers Information Bureau data.  It also adds another attractive demographic of young female consumers to Meredith’s database.

Additionally, FamilyFun has a large presence in the food advertising space.  Over the past six months, Meredith has significantly bolstered its market share in the food category through the:

• Acquisition of the Every Day with Rachael Ray and EatingWell media brands;
• Launch of Recipe.com, a multi-channel food brand that pairs recipes with digital coupons and savings that already is attracting 3.5 million monthly unique visitors;
• Introduction of six new Special Interest Media food titles, bringing the total to nearly 40; and,
• Expansion of food and parents content in its leading portfolio of brands – including Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Parents and Fitness – across a broad array of  tablet products including the iPad, NOOK Color and the Kindle Fire.

“We are constantly looking for strategic opportunities – be it the acquisition of media brands such as FamilyFun or our investment in marketing services leaders such as Iris Worldwide – to expand our reach and create shareholder value,” says Meredith Chief Development Officer John Zieser.

Disney Interactive’s Moms and Family online portfolio will retain all existing FamilyFun content for digital use.

Related articles

• Disney Publishing Announces Launch of FamilyFun Kids (chipandco.com)
• “Disney FamilyFun” Magazine Named Best of Newsstand App Category in 2011 (chipandco.com)

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