BATH, United Kingdom (BRAIN) — Digital revenue rose 30 percent over the past year for Future PLC, the British publisher of cycling websites and magazines Bikeradar.com, Triradar.com, Cyclingnews.com, Procycling, Cycling Plus, Mountain Biking UK, Triathlon Plus, and What Mountain Bike.
Digital revenue for Future’s five groups — technology, entertainment, music, creative and sport and auto — was 20.6 million British Pounds ($33.3 million) with digital advertising now accounting for 44 percent of all ad dollars. Overall revenue fell 3 percent to 117.7 million British Pounds ($190 million), a result of the restructuring of U.S. operations, for the financial year ending Sept. 30.
Revenue from digital edition sales was about $1 million, the company reported, with 90 percent of those sales to new customers and 40 percent outside core U.S. and U.K. markets.
Future doesn’t break out the performance of its cycling properties from its portfolio of 200 publications, apps, websites and events, but revenue from the sport and auto sector in the U.K. rose slightly from 17.7 million British Pounds ($28.6 million) in 2011 to 18.1 million British Pounds ($29.4 million) this year. That same sector in the U.S. reported revenue of 1.5 million British Pounds ($2.4 million), up from 1.3 million British Pounds ($2.1 million) last year.
In its earnings report published last Friday, Future said its focus in 2013 is to explore opportunities outside English language markets. This year, BikeRadar expanded to the U.S. and Australia. Future said it already has a translation model in place to produce content for the German market.
