Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has acquired a leading lifestyle publisher as it accelerates its transformation into a subscription-led digital business.
TMG, publisher of the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and telegraph.co.uk, has purchased the Chelsea Magazine Company (CMC), a family-owned digital and print magazine specialist.
Founded in 2007 by Paul Dobson, CMC’s consumer brands include The English Home, The English Garden, Artists & Illustrators, Classic Boat and Britain. The portfolio offers print and digital subscriptions and reaches a combined monthly audience of 2.5 million in the UK and abroad.
TMG has been rapidly growing its subscription business over the last five years, reaching over 750,000 total subscriptions prior to the acquisition. Expansion has been strong in Britain and abroad, and the company is currently adding significant numbers of subscriptions in the United States.
The Telegraph’s growth has been driven by large investments in journalism and technology and strong subscriber interest in personal finance and property news, the cost of living crisis, the Royal family, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and health. The company is increasing its editorial budget, the number of journalists it employs and the functionality and ease of use of its app and website.
Nick Hugh, CEO of Telegraph Media Group, said: “The success of our subscription strategy over the last five years has put TMG in a strong position, providing us with the capability to invest in other publishing groups. I am delighted that CMC will be joining TMG and our portfolio of award-winning publications. This investment will help us to deepen our subscriber relationships and scale our market both in the UK and the US, furthering our vision to reach more subscribers than ever before.”
CMC’s stable attracts subscribers primarily located in the UK and North America, and is thus highly complementary to TMG’s existing publications, subscriber base and growth strategy, the company said in a statement.
James Dobson, Managing Director of The Chelsea Magazine Company, said: “I am proud that CMC is joining the Telegraph Media Group. Since my father founded the business in 2007, we have built a broad portfolio of engaging specialist brands. TMG offers a fantastic platform to grow print and digital audiences, and together with my CMC colleagues, I am excited to work alongside such an established industry leader.”
Paul Dobson, Executive Chairman of The Chelsea Magazine Company, said: “It is exciting that the Telegraph Media Group has acquired CMC. Our portfolio of titles has developed rapidly in the past 15 years via a mixture of launches and acquisitions and I want to pay special tribute to our brilliant teams who have helped achieve this. As I step down from the business I have every confidence that James, the management team and TMG will take our subscriber offering to the next level.”
About Telegraph Media Group
Telegraph Media Group (TMG) is the publisher of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, The Telegraph Magazine, Telegraph.co.uk and the Telegraph app.
The Telegraph delivers quality, trusted, award-winning journalism, 24 hours a day and across all its platforms, covering a broad range of areas from news, politics and business, to sport, lifestyle and opinion.