Are Media is an Australian media company. It was formed after the 2020 purchase of the assets of Bauer Media Australia, which had in turn acquired the assets of Pacific Magazines, AP Magazines and Australian Consolidated Press (ACP) during the 2010s. It is owned by the Sydney investment firm Mercury Capital.

Are Media
Parent companyMercury Capital
PredecessorSydney Newspapers
Australian Associated Newspapers
Australian Consolidated Press
Bauer Media Group
Pacific Magazines
Founded1936
FounderFrank Packer
Country of originAustralia
Headquarters locationPark Street, Sydney
Publication typesMagazines, books
Official websitearemedia.com.au

History

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Australian Consolidated Press

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Consolidated Press was formed in 1936, combining ownership of The Daily Telegraph and Frank Packer's Australian Women's Weekly. It was renamed Australian Consolidated Press (ACP) in 1957, and acquired The Bulletin in 1960.[1]

The Daily Telegraph was sold to News Limited in 1972; the same year ACP founded Cleo and took over Publishers Holdings (including Australian House & Garden, Wheels, and others).[2][3] Two years later, Frank Packer died, and his son Kerry took over the company.[citation needed]

In 1988, ACP acquired John Fairfax's magazines (including Woman's Day, People, Dolly, and Good Housekeeping).[citation needed]

In 1994, ACP merged with the Nine Network to form Publishing & Broadcasting Limited. In 2000, Australian Consolidated Press was rebranded ACP Magazines.[4]

In 1999, PBL acquired Crown Limited, and in 2002, it combined ACP and Nine into a new division, PBL Media. CVC Capital Partners acquired PBL Media in 2007.[citation needed]

In 2011, ACP sold its magazines in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to Singapore Press Holdings.[5]

Pacific Magazines

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Pacific Magazines was a magazine publisher operating in Australia, owned by Seven West Media. It was acquired by Bauer Media Australia in April 2020.[6] In June 2020, Mercury Capital acquired Pacific Magazines as part of its purchase of Bauer's former Australian and New Zealand assets.[7][8]

Bauer Media Australia and New Zealand

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In September 2012, Nine Entertainment announced that it had agreed to sell ACP Magazines to the German multinational publishing company Bauer Media for an estimated A$500 million, with the sale completed on 1 October 2012.[9][10][11] ACP was rebranded as Bauer Media Australia.[4]

The publisher had many tie-ins with other Nine Entertainment Co. companies, such as Nine Network programs (Burke's Backyard and Good Medicine) and the Magshop web service, which is now operated by Bauer Media Group.[citation needed]

In October 2019, Bauer agreed terms to purchase Pacific Magazines from Seven West Media.[12] The transaction was completed in May 2020 after the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission cleared the sale.[13][14][15]

In April 2020, several titles temporarily ceased publication due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[16]

Mercury Capital

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In June 2020, the Sydney investment firm Mercury Capital purchased Bauer Media's Australian and New Zealand print and digital assets covering women's entertainment and lifestyle; fashion, beauty and health; food; and the motoring and trader lifestyle categories. Some New Zealand brands acquired by Mercury Capital included the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, the New Zealand Listener, and North and South.[17][18] Notable Australian assets acquired by the company include Woman's Day, The Australian Women's Weekly, Rolling Stone Australia, Cleo, Dolly, and Pacific Magazines.[19][20][7]

In mid-July 2020, Mercury Capital announced that it would resume publishing several former Bauer titles including Woman's Day, the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, The Australian Women's Weekly NZ, home category magazine Your Home & Garden, current affairs weekly New Zealand Listener, Air New Zealand's in-flight magazine Kia Ora, the Property Press, and the websites Now to Love, Homes to Love and Beauty Heaven.[21][22][23] However, Mercury Capital closed down several publications including NW and Good Health, and the Australian editions of Elle, Harper's Bazaar, InStyle, Men's Health, OK!, Women's Health.[24][25][26] In addition, Mercury Capital sold the New Zealand titles Metro to independent publisher Simon Chesterman and North & South to independent publishers Konstantin Richter and Verena Friederike Hasel respectively.[21][22]

In late September 2020, Bauer Media Australia was rebranded as Are Media.[27] As part of the rebrand and relaunch, the company's CEO Brendon Hill confirmed that Are Media would be relaunching several titles including the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, New Zealand Listener, Woman's Day, The Australian Women's Weekly, Your Home and Garden, and Air New Zealand's inflight magazine Kia Ora.[28][29]

In late June 2023, Are Media partnered with New Zealand media company NZME to launch an online version of the New Zealand Listener called "Listener.co.nz." The website is hosted on The New Zealand Herald's website and features exclusive digital content.[30]

Brands

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Entertainment and lifestyle/health

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Fashion and beauty

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Homes

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Food

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Parenting

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Auto

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New Zealand

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References

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  1. ^ Sharp, Annette (3 August 2012). "The birth of a media empire". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Publishers board sits on the fence". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 July 1972. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Thomson gives up Publishers". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 July 1972. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  4. ^ a b Hicks, Robin (26 October 2012). "ACP to rebrand as Bauer Media". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  5. ^ Smith, Erin (2 November 2011). "Nine sells ACP Asia mags". Ad News. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  6. ^ Kelly, Vivienne (26 March 2020). "Bauer Media given all clear to acquire Seven West Media's Pacific Magazines". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b Kelly, Vivienne (17 June 2020). "Bauer Media sold to Mercury Capital". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  8. ^ "About Us". Are Media. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Nine Entertainment to sell ACP Magazines to Bauer Media Group". ACP Magazines. 5 September 2012. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  10. ^ Kruger, Colin (2 October 2012). "Bauer takes control of ACP". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Experts welcome Bauer takeover of ACP". Nine News. Australian Associated Press. 5 September 2012. Archived from the original on 4 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Agreement to sell Pacific Magazines" (PDF). Seven West Media. 21 October 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Bauer Media Pty Limited – Pacific Magazines Pty Ltd". Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. 26 March 2020. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  14. ^ Kelly, Vivienne (26 March 2020). "Bauer Media given all clear to acquire Seven West Media's Pacific Magazines". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  15. ^ "SWM completes sale of Pacific Magazines to Bauer" (PDF). Seven West Media. 1 May 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  16. ^ Meade, Amanda (29 April 2020). "Bauer Media suspends printing of 'certain' magazines and lays off 140 staff amid coronavirus fallout". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Bauer Media NZ bought by Australian investment company". Radio New Zealand. 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  18. ^ Edmunds, Susan (17 June 2020). "Bauer magazines sold to private equity firm". New Zealand: Stuff. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  19. ^ Kelly, Vivienne. "Bauer has left the building. What next for magazines in Australia?". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  20. ^ Whyte, Jemina (19 June 2020). "Magazine buyer writes new story". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  21. ^ a b Edmunds, Susan. "The Listener and other Bauer mags return – some may be gone for good". New Zealand: Stuff. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Bauer resumes publishing of The Listener and NZ Woman's Weekly after Mercury Capital takes over". The New Zealand Herald. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  23. ^ "Bauer Media Aust & NZ fire sale to Mercury Capital completes". Mediaweek. 17 July 2020. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  24. ^ Meade, Amanda (6 May 2020). "Australia's magazine industry in crisis as Bauer Media folds seven titles". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  25. ^ Meade, Amanda (20 July 2020). "Mercury Capital axes eight former Bauer magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Men's Health". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  26. ^ Doyle, Michael (21 July 2020). "InStyle, Elle, Women's Health, Men's Health among Australian magazines axed by Bauer Media". Australia: ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  27. ^ Blackiston, Hannah (28 September 2020). "Bauer Media rebrands as Are Media". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  28. ^ "Rebrand and Relaunch: Australasia's Bauer Media now titled Are Media". StopPress. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  29. ^ "'Are Media marks new era for Australasia's leading content and experiences company'". Voxy.co.nz. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  30. ^ "NZME teams up with Are Media to launch Listener.co.nz". NZME. 30 June 2023. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao "Brands". Are Media. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g "Are Media 2021 Media Kit" (PDF). Are Media New Zealand. November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
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