Discovery has acquired Golf Digest from Condé Nast. Golf Digest is the world’s No. 1 golf media brand and will extend Discovery’s global golf media business to the US market through Golf Digest’s multiplatform distribution and reach.
The news of the sale comes 12 months after it was revealed Condé Nast was selling several brands. The others were Brides and W. Condé Nast lost $150m in 2017 and has been slimming down its portfolio.
Condé Nast licences Golf Digest to an Australia publisher, Custom Made Media Australia (CMMA), the home of Australian Golf Digest. The Australian publishing business is run by managing director Nick Cutler.
Discovery commented it would seek to optimise its exclusive global partnership with Tiger Woods across both Golf Digest and PGA TOUR platforms. GOLFTV is collaborating with Woods on a range of content, such as deep-dive instruction to help players improve their game, which began filming last month, and exclusive access to his tournament preparation. The unique collaboration offers an authentic look into the life, mind and performance of the game’s ultimate icon.
Tiger Woods said: “This is an important step in enhancing and expanding the U.S. and global reach of Discovery and GOLFTV. It gives me another platform to tell my story directly to fans and makes my partnership with Discovery even stronger. This acquisition, along with what Discovery and GOLFTV have already done with the PGA TOUR, is great for the game of golf.”
Discovery will seek to leverage its global scale, with reach into 220 markets and territories, to further grow the Golf Digest brand around the world.
Golf Digest, which earns nearly half of its US revenues from digital advertising, will continue to publish a US monthly print magazine and Discovery will assume the global licenses for editions serving nearly 70 countries.
Jerry Tarde, editor-in-chief, Golf Digest, and global head of strategy and content, Discovery Golf, said: “Golf Digest has this amazing team of editors, reporters, producers, photographers and contributors – all dedicated to helping golfers improve and be smarter consumers of the game we love. Discovery’s vision to create one global destination for everything a golf fan could want is perfectly aligned with what Golf Digest does every day. As we look to the future, Discovery’s global scale and ability to light up content on all platforms and in every language, combined with the PGA TOUR’s brand, will benefit golf and golfers worldwide.”