Rogers Media Unveils New Magazine Content Strategy

– Investing in digital content while focusing on core brands and audiences –

TORONTO, Sept. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - With consumers' growing appetite for digital content, Rogers Media is making some key changes to its magazine portfolio to address the ongoing challenges facing the print media industry.

"We are going where our audiences are, and doubling-down on digital to grow our consumer magazine brands," said Rick Brace, President, Rogers Media.  "We have already made significant investments in creating content and making it available on digital platforms, including Texture, Sportsnet NOW, and Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE, and today's announcement builds on that."

Below is a summary of the changes:

• FLARE, Sportsnet, MoneySense, and Canadian Business will be available exclusively on the web and on apps beginning January 2017, with new content posted daily

• Four consumer magazines will remain in print, offering fresh content digitally through Texture, stand-alone digital editions, websites, and apps:
  • Three magazines will reduce their print frequency as of January 2017: Maclean's (monthly), Chatelaine (6x per year), and Today's Parent (6x per year)
  • HELLO! Canada will remain a weekly print publication
  • Texture editions will match the print schedules, except for Maclean's which will run as a weekly edition on Texture

• Rogers Media will focus on its English-language consumer brands, centred on five content pillars: Entertainment, Lifestyle, Parenting, News & Current Affairs, and Sports. As a result, this fall the company will:
  • Divest all Business-to-Business publications, as they no longer align with the company's core focus
  • Divest Châtelaine, LOULOU, and L'actualité, as the company narrows its focus on its English-language consumer brands. Recognizing these are storied brands that require dedicated attention to best serve the distinct French market, the company is going through a thoughtful process to find strong new ownership

Rogers Media is investing in digital content creators, capabilities, and facilities to produce digital programming and enable a digital-first culture.  The company has committed more than $35 million in capital and marketing to create and promote digital content and transition the business to a digital-first infrastructure. 

"It's been clear for some time now that Canadians are moving from print to digital, and our job is to keep pace with the changes our audiences are demanding.  We are so much more than a collection of magazine brands, and we've seen rapid growth on our digital platforms over the past few years.  Now is the time for us to accelerate that shift," said Steve Maich, Senior Vice President of Digital Content & Publishing, Rogers Media.

Canadians spend upwards of eight hours a day on either mobile, tablet, or desktop, while time spent with print is in decline, down 18% since 2012 ⁽¹⁾.  As part of this shift, Rogers magazines have experienced significant digital uptake:

• Digital consumer revenue for Rogers magazine brands is outpacing newsstand revenue by 50%
• Rogers magazine brands have a combined digital reach of 3.8 million Canadians per month for the first half of 2016, up 30% yoy ⁽²⁾
• Canadians spend an average of 40 million minutes per month online with Rogers magazine brands, up 34% yoy ⁽³⁾
• Unique visitors to Rogers magazine brands online have increased 41% in the last two years ⁽⁴⁾
• Video viewership with Rogers magazine brands online is up 162% yoy ⁽⁵⁾
• Sportsnet.ca is the fastest growing digital sports outlet in Canada with monthly reach up 47% yoy ⁽⁶⁾
• Texture users in Canada download an average of 1.7 million magazines each month ⁽⁷⁾

Print subscribers will continue to receive their print subscriptions through the end of the year.  Different options have been developed based on customers' needs and current subscription status, and if desired, subscribers can request a full refund on their account.

About Rogers
Rogers Communications is a leading diversified public Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high-speed Internet and telephony services to consumers and businesses. Through Rogers Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines, sports entertainment, and digital media. Our stock is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit rogers.com.

Sources
⁽¹⁾ Media Technology Monitor via eMarketer
⁽²⁾ comScore, Inc. Media Metrix Multi-Platform H1 2015 vs. H1 2016, Canada
⁽³⁾ comScore, Inc. Media Metrix Multi-Platform H1 2015 vs. H1 2016, Canada
⁽⁴⁾ comScore, Inc. Media Metrix Multi-Platform Jul 2014 to Jul 2016, Canada
⁽⁵⁾ Internal Brightcove H1 2015 vs. H1 2016
⁽⁶⁾ comScore, Inc. Media Metrix Multi-Platform H1 2015 vs. H1 2016, Canada, (Of the Top 10 Sports Entities in August 2016)
⁽⁷⁾ Texture Canada Jan-Apr 2016

SOURCE Rogers Media

Media Contacts: Andrea Goldstein, Rogers, [email protected], 647.801.4394; Jessica Beard, Rogers, [email protected], 416.357.3147