• by Tony Silber , January 18, 2022

Accelerate360, the former magazine distributor that expanded into publishing, and now controls many celebrity and health brands primarily sold by newsstand, announced it is acquiring the Bauer Media Group’s publishing assets, including the one-time checkout juggernauts Woman’s World and First for Women.

The transaction also includes the Bauer U.S. bookazine business, which produces more than 100 special-interest publications per year. The deal is expected to close next month.

Bauer’s titles dominated the checkout slots for decades.

Adding them to its portfolio gives Accelerate360 a top position in newsstand publishing. A360 was formerly known as The News Group, the longtime largest U.S. magazine distributor. In 2018, the U.S. portion of that business — then owned by the Canadian conglomerate the Jim Pattison Group — was sold to a new entity, American News Company, backed by the hedge fund giant Chatham Asset Management.

In August 2020, the American News Company changed its name to Accelerate360, and later that month merged with another Chatham-owned business, the notorious American Media, publisher of the National Enquirer and other supermarket tabloids, as well as a raft of other magazines in the celebrity space, including US Weekly, Men’s Journal, OK!, Star, and Soap Opera Digest.

A360 CEO David Parry called the deal an extraordinary opportunity. “This not only adds industry-leading brands to our portfolio, but also incredibly talented employees with proven abilities in audience development, digital and special interest publications that further expand A360 Media's capabilities and resources,” he said in a press statement.

Accelerate360 describes itself as an omnichannel distribution, data and media company that provides customized solutions for consumer-product brands and retailers. It delivers consumer products to more than 60,000 retail locations weekly and has a 100-year track record of growing brands through logistics, sales, media, sourcing, marketing and media.