• by Sara Guaglione , October 14, 2019

Hearst Magazines has entered a multi-year licensing deal with Crain Communications to operate the digital and experiential businesses of Autoweek.

Crain will cease publishing the print product, which was produced twice a month. 

“As Crain continues to grow its B2B footprint, we felt Hearst was a perfect fit for our only consumer brand,” stated Crain Communications president-COO KC Crain.

The Hearst Autos division, which oversees titles such as Car and Driver and Road & Track, will produce and continue to invest in Autoweek.com, which will be hosted on Hearst Magazines’ content platform, MediaOS.

Hearst Autos will also build out Autoweek’s newsletters and podcasts, according to the company.

Autoweek is already part of Hearst’s auto ad network Start, formerly known as Jumpstart. So is its Autos Group and other outside brands, like J. D. Power and US News & World Report auto ads.

Hearst “will leverage their creative expertise, best-in-class technology services and innovative marketing solutions to continue the legacy of this storied brand,” Crain stated.

The Detroit-based Autoweek staff will be led by Patrick Carone, who is based at Hearst Autos headquarters in New York. 

Carone will oversee all content and digital initiatives across Autoweek.