• by Tony Silber , November 30, 2021

Future PLC increased year-over-year revenue by a robust 79% for its 2021 fiscal year, finishing with revenue of $808.5 million compared with $449.5 million in the same period last year. U.S. revenue increased to $278.2 million, a 27% increase over 2020, and ecommerce revenue increased by 36%, to $286.1 million.

Future, which owns nearly 200 brands across dozens of consumer-enthusiast and B2B media categories, has been growing through organic means and acquisitions. It breaks out its performance in two main revenue categories: media, including digital display advertising (on and off its platform), ecommerce and events; and magazines, including advertising and content.

The media category is by far the largest, with $559.6 million in 2021 revenue, compared with the magazine category, which reported $243.5 million and organic growth of just 4%, compared with 27% in the media category.

Its business crosses a huge spectrum of both well-known brands and lesser-known ones, including Marie Claire, All About History, Australian Guitar, Bass Player, Broadcasting & Cable, Bow International, Country Life, Kiplinger, Digital Camera, Decanter, Golf Monthly, Homebuilding & Renovating, Horse & Hound and PC Gamer.

Based in London and Bath, England, the company operates on an October-to-September fiscal year.

“Looking ahead, we expect our diversified strategy to continue to deliver and are well-positioned to continue to grow strongly,” Future CEO Zillah Byng-Thorne said Tuesday in a press release.  As we transition from the COVID-19 boosted comparators, we expect the growth to accelerate in H2 next year.”

Future’s U.S. business was a significant growth driver in 2021, with organic revenue growth of 27% year-on-year. The U.S. business now comprises over one-third (35%) of Future’s revenues, the company said.

The company’s online audiences have increased 20% on average since 2019, reach 305 million monthly users in 2021. With Future’s online audience increasing 8% year-on-year, and with a global audience four times larger than it was in 2019, the company now reaches one in three U.S. adults online.

Acquisitions have played a major role in the company’s growth.

Since the beginning of 2020, the company has acquired TI Media, GoCo Group, the U.S. edition of Marie Claire, and CinemaBlend. Last month, after the close of the fiscal year, Future acquired Dennis Publishing. “Our strategy is accelerated through acquisition, and in the year, we continued to strengthen our proposition through the completed integration of GoCo Group, Marie Claire US, CinemaBlend and, post-year end, Dennis,” Byng-Thorne said.

On the bottom line, Future’s adjusted operating profit margin was a reported 32%, up four percentage points year-over-year, hitting $258.1 million.