Bonnier Corp. has acquired Scuba Diving magazine from F+
The acquisition, which includes the 130,000 rate base magazine and an extensive online community, greatly increases Bonnier’s reach in the diving market. The publisher, which has now formed a Bonnier Dive Group, already owns the 200,000-rate base Sport Diver magazine. Bonnier also produces The Undersea Journal for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
“We now have the top two books in the market, and it’s always good to control the market,” said Dean Turcol, VP of corporate communications for Bonnier. “The acquisition puts us in a commanding position in the dive industry. Our goal is always to go deeper into markets that we serve. The diving market is one of our smaller markets, but we want to go deeper, and this is an opportunity where we could bring in the number two book and really make a go of it in this.”
Turcol added that the two magazines complement each other because Sport Diver is more lifestyle-focused, while Scuba Diving covers more gear and travel.
F+W also profits from the sale: The company announced a restructuring initiative in October that shifted its focus from print publishing to digital and integrated media.
Turcol would not elaborate on future marketing plans for Scuba Diving, but he did note that, “When Bonnier acquires a title, we push it as much as possible with special promotions. We have a very big consumer marketing team, and we’re always very bullish in consumer marketing.”
Scuba Diving’s headquarters will move from
