Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Bicycling and Runner’s World are moving. PXR, the publisher of Voetbal International, bright.nl and autoblog.nl, among others, will take over the titles from Hearst Netherlands as of October 1, 2024, and with it the brand license to publish the magazines on the Dutch market. With this acquisition, PXR strengthens its portfolio of media brands in the sports and lifestyle market.
In April this year, BNR already reported on dhe new reorganization at Hearst. Several permanent employees left the editorial offices of the four sports brands and staffing was kept to a minimum. The reason was, among other things, the declining circulation figures of the magazines.
Ernst Keyzer, CEO of PXR, about the collaboration: “The addition of these strong brands to our portfolio offers enormous opportunities. Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Bicycling and Runner’s World are all renowned titles that fit perfectly with our mission to build real relationships with (sports) fans and communities. We look forward to taking these brands to the next level both in print and online and continuing to inspire readers.”
“PXR is a best-in-class publisher in the Netherlands and we are excited to welcome them to our global network of 48 licensing partners in 47 countries,” added Joe Martin, VP Media Licensing of Hearst Magazines International.
Marscha Krouwel, CEO of Hearst Netherlands, adds: “We are excited to work with PXR and welcome them as our licensing partner. PXR’s expertise in the field of (online) publishing of sports and lifestyle titles fits seamlessly with our brands. Through this collaboration we can further increase the strength of our iconic brands Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Bicycling and Runner’s World and respond even better to the needs of the Dutch market.”
The licensing collaboration between PXR and Hearst will officially start from October 1, 2024 and the transition of the publishing activities will take place in phases. From October, PXR will publish the print editions of the various titles. In the following months, we will gradually work on a smooth transfer of the online activities, so that the quality and continuity of the magazines is guaranteed for both readers and advertisers. Both parties look forward to this new phase of cooperation with confidence and strive to further develop and expand the sports and lifestyle community in the Netherlands.