Record numbers as Motorsport Network prioritises digital approach

Audiences are engaging with our digital properties at record-breaking rates, with over 340 million page views in the last month. Focusing on evolving the digital offering to meet the requirements of a changing media landscape is, therefore, an inevitable step. A digital first approach will deliver wide-ranging new opportunities for our popular brands to serve their audiences and partners in new innovative ways.

2019 has seen 145% year on year growth of users for our automotive properties with Motor1.com, InsideEVs, Motorious and Ride Apart serving fans of both two and four wheels, classic, modern and electric vehicles. Autosport, Formel1, GP Update, Motorsport.com and Motorsport Total serve racing fans the latest news, analysis and opinion in 14 different languages across all corners of the globe with a very strong 34% year on year user growth.

We have signed an agreement to sell F1 Racing Magazine to Lifestyle Media, which will post-closing continue primarily as a print-only publication. The deal, completion of which is conditional upon legal requirements, including obtaining a third-party consent, is expected to complete around the end of October 2019. The demands of modern consumption mean that we need to adapt our distribution methods in order to deliver our products effectively. As a result, the sale price for the print version of Autosport magazine will increase to £10.99 per issue as of this week. We are exploring options regarding our other print only title Motorsport News and will communicate any updates in due course.

In recent weeks we have launched an all-new Motorsport.com App which delivers the fastest racing insight, analysis and news directly to fans wherever they are, tailored to their demands. The unprecedented growth of Esports and gaming has seen us launch Motorsport Games this year, serving news and experiences to one of the fastest-growing and advanced racing audiences.

Motorsport Network would like to reassure our millions of fans across the world that as our digital audiences and revenues grow, we are actively investing in all of our leading brands including Autosport, the so-called 'bible of motor sport', to ensure that these destination platforms remain the world's leading authority on the sport. Through greater levels of insights, analysis, news and opinion delivered via our apps, websites, social media channels and podcasts, our brands are being distributed through a digital-first approach to better serve the communities that value them. Furthermore, as we progress our company and look to the future, we will continue to support all our valued team members who have delivered world-class content to our consumers for many years.

Yavor Efremov, Motorsport Network President, CEO​ said: "Our digital-first path has always been in front of us. Over the last few months, the tremendous growth and success we are seeing in digital, combined with print challenges that have been broadly acknowledged by other media companies, convinced me that it is the right time for us to take this important step forward. Print is our heritage, but digital is our future and, I am happy to say, our future is bright. I would like to thank every one of our colleagues who have delivered the amazing success story we are seeing across all our digital platforms. I am excited to lead this team forward on our journey."