Immediate Media, the Radio Times publisher with a major office in Bristol, has become the UK’s largest food media firm after snapping up the BBC Good Food brand.
The group, which publishes more than 60 titles ranging from You and Your Wedding to The World of Cross Stitching and Bikeradar, previously published the Good Food magazine under licence from the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios.
Immediate’s other food titles include Delicious, Olive and the Healthy Food Guide.
BBC Good Food is the UK’s largest food website with 22m global monthly visitors while the magazine is the country’s best-selling title of its kind with 1.3m monthly readers.
Analysts said titles such as BBC Good Food have very loyal, more mature subscribers and pointed out that the acquisition had additional value through the regular BBC Good Food roadshows, which feature top chefs, tastings, shopping and entertainment. Last year they attracted 300,000 visitors who spent £27m.
Future growth could also come from audio media – BBC Good Food already delivers recipes via a skill on Amazon Alexa.
Immediate chief executive Tom Bureau said: “Not only is this the biggest brand in food publishing and media, but is absolutely on strategy for Immediate, given our focus on high-value special interest communities, and cements our market leadership in the food sector.
“We see significant opportunity in growing the brand, which we know well from working closely with BBC Studios.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming the hugely talented BBC Good Food team to Immediate, and we are committed to continue to produce the world-class content they are known for, whilst developing the brand across all platforms.”
The acquisition is the first since Immediate’s acquisition by German magazine giant Hubert Burda Media in January last year.
Immediate publishes nine other BBC-branded magazines, including BBC History Magazine and BBC Music.
Some, like BBC Top Gear, are published by Immediate under contract while still owned and operated by BBC Studios, while others, including BBC Gardeners’ World, are owned by Immediate.
BBC Studios UK president Marcus Arthur said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve not only found a terrific new home for the BBC Good Food team and brand, but also the right home.
“Immediate Media is a long-trusted partner of BBC Studios and has already guided several of our former magazines to even greater heights.
“Tom and his team’s plans to invest further in the Good Food brand will build on its continued strong performance and consumer popularity.”
Immediate was formed in 2011 when the BBC sold its magazines division to Exponent Private Equity. It was then combined with Bristol-based Origin publishing.
The Bristol office was further expanded in 2014 when Immediate paid £24m for Bath-based media group Future’s sport and magazine titles, including Cycling Plus, Simply Knitting and Mollie Makes. Around 130 Future staff were transferred to Immediate.
Immediate now employs around 1,300 staff.
