UFC x Transworld ASSkicking Magazine?

The snow, surf, and skate editorial staffs at Transworld Media have some new office mates in their Carlsbad, California headquarters.

Bonnier Corporation has reportedly partnered with the Ultimate Fighting Championships to produce its UFC Magazine. Transworld will be responsible for the sales and distribution of the magazine and Group Publisher Liam Ferguson couldn’t be happier about it.

“From my first introduction to Dana White and the UFC over two years ago, I was impressed by his passion for their sport and his company’s media prowess,” said TransWorld Media Group Publisher Liam Ferguson. “This partnership will leverage the strengths of our respective organizations to better serve our shared target demographic of young male enthusiasts, aged 16-34. I’m flattered that the UFC has chosen TransWorld, and our parent company Bonnier, as their partner to grow their print and digital magazine subscribers globally.”

With their core product revenue continuing to fall, it was only a matter of time before Bonnier found a way to bring more dollars into their Transworld Media business. It would appear that Transworld Media’s Bonnier ass kicking is going to continue for a while. Follow the jump for the official word from Bonnier.Bonnier/UFC® Partner: Bonnier to Publish UFC Magazine — Former Editor-in-Chief and Former Publisher Return

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2011 — Bonnier Corp. and the Ultimate Fighting Championship® have announced an agreement for Bonnier to begin producing the mixed martial arts organization’s official magazine. Launched in 2009, UFC Magazine quickly established itself as the premier source covering the sport and lifestyle of the UFC®. This winter, the first issue of UFC Magazine published under Bonnier will be available and include a 2012 annual preview of the fastest-growing sports organization in the world. Hitting newsstands Dec. 27, UFC Magazine will continue to be led by Editor-in-Chief Seth Kelly and Publisher Larry Menkes.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this new agreement with Bonnier,” said Bryan Johnston, chief marketing officer for the UFC. “Our past partnership with Bonnier’s TransWorld titles have been such a success, it makes perfect sense to extend the relationship out through its parent company based in Stockholm, Sweden. The team at Bonnier is on par with our mission to grow this sport and they understand our commitment to social media and technology. With the ability to reach readers in 17 countries, Bonnier will help grow the UFC’s global distribution by utilizing its successful Mag+ tablet platform and long-standing history in publishing.”

Bonnier has become an industry pioneer for its approach to emerging digital platforms. Bonnier was one of the first to launch a magazine title on the iPad with Popular Science in April 2010 and has followed that up with aggressive R&D innovations.

“From my first introduction to Dana White and the UFC over two years ago, I was impressed by his passion for their sport and his company’s media prowess,” said TransWorld Media Group Publisher Liam Ferguson. “This partnership will leverage the strengths of our respective organizations to better serve our shared target demographic of young male enthusiasts, aged 16-34. I’m flattered that the UFC has chosen TransWorld, and our parent company Bonnier, as their partner to grow their print and digital magazine subscribers globally.”

Bonnier tapped Kelly, the editor who launched UFC Magazine for American Media, to return to his role as editor-in-chief. Kelly has left his position as editorial director at American Media to join Bonnier. He previously oversaw the editorial departments at UFC Magazine, Men’s Fitness and Muscle & Fitness.

“UFC Magazine is a very special project for me and I’m very happy to return to the title,” Kelly said. “Bonnier’s position within the industry and publishing capabilities will allow us to execute our plans for improving the print product and expand to online. I can’t wait to fire up the tablet edition in 2012. And yes, to all the fans out there, we’re going to have subscriptions.”

Menkes, former publisher of UFC Magazine and Men’s Fitness, has also returned to the magazine as publisher. He has more than 13 years of media experience under his belt with top companies such as American Media, Dennis Publishing, Primedia and Mediavest.

UFC Magazine is the only official print property covering the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The magazine offers exclusive access to UFC athletes and covers all facets of the fastest-growing sport in the world. In addition to connecting fans with the their favorite UFC athletes, the editorial content presents a wide array of lifestyle coverage, from fitness and training to consumer goods, entertainment and travel, all viewed through the lens of the UFC. What’s more, UFC Magazine will now boast online featured content at www.ufc.com.

Its appeal isn’t only to the fight fan either. UFC Magazine is consumed by readers across multiple demographics, while 37 percent of its readers are women.

Bonnier Corp. (www.bonniercorp.com) is one of the largest consumer-publishing groups in the U.S. and is the leading media company serving passionate, highly engaged audiences through magazines, events, digital media and leading-edge products. Bonnier Corp. is the U.S. division of the Bonnier Group (www.bonnier.com), an international media group active in television, newspapers, magazines, movies, books and digital media.

About Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® is the world’s premier MMA organization and produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually around the globe. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. Beginning November 12, 2011 FOX will broadcast four fights annually. In spring 2012, The Ultimate Fighter®, UFC’s signature weekly reality TV show, debuts on FX. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, reaching a half a billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages.

UFC® also boasts a powerful presence online, with UFC.com attracting over seven million unique visitors per month, while also possessing one of the most powerful social media followings in all of professional sports. To date, UFC has over six million fans on Facebook and over 300,000 followers on Twitter. In addition, UFC President Dana White is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with nearly 1.7 million followers on Twitter. On January 22, 2011, UFC continued to set trends in social media, becoming the first major sports league to stream live, broadcast quality action on Facebook.
Ancillary businesses include best-selling DVDs, a magazine, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” video game franchise distributed by THQ, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, and articulated action figures.
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