Source Interlink was an American magazine publishing and logistics company. It owned Source Interlink Distribution and Motor Trend Group. It maintained a strong position in automotive and action sports media, publishing a variety of magazines including Motor Trend, Hot Rod, and the Transworld titles.[3][4]
In September 2012, it was announced that Source Interlink Media (SIM) made a strategic investment in San Francisco technology company CoverHound to power its insurance searches.[5]
Through its GrindMedia action sports division, SIM signed a deal with the Bonnier Corporation in May 2013, where they sold Dirt Rider,Motorcyclist, Sport Rider, Motorcycle Cruiser, Hot Bike, Baggers, Super Streetbike, Street Chopper and ATV Rider, whereas they bought Sound + Vision and the suite of TransWorld brands.[6]
On August 19, 2013, GrindMedia announced that production of Skateboarder will cease on October 15, 2013.[7] The Skateboarder announcement was followed by the closure of other publications, such as Modified, Mini Truckin', Bound By Ink, GEEK, and Law of Attraction, in January 2014.[8][9] Former Skateboarder editor-in-chief Jamie Owens was announced as the new editor-in-chief of TransWorld SKATEboarding in October 2013.[10]
On May 29, 2014, Source Interlink CEO Michael L. Sullivan announced that its distribution arm would soon cease operations. Time, Inc. had withdrawn its business over the inability of Source Interlink Distribution to pay $19 million in revenues owed for second quarter 2014 sales and $7 million for sales booked in previous quarters.[11] The publishing arm would be rebranded under the umbrella of TEN: The Enthusiast Network after shuttering several Source Interlink Media titles, including Popular Hot Rodding, Rod & Custom, High Performance Pontiac, Custom Classic Trucks, 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility, Mud Life, 5.0 Mustangs and Super Fords, Modified Mustangs & Fords, Camaro Performers, GM High-Tech Performance, Import Tuner, and Honda Tuning. In addition to editorial staff, there were further layoffs in art and production staff that was later explained by VPs and executives as needed cuts to keep TEN on a sustainable path since losing the large distribution arm of its core business to reach the claimed audience in its dwindling circulation and online presence.[12][13]
In 2015, NBC Sports shuttered its action sports division, and sold the Dew Tour to TEN.[14] On August 17 of that same year, TEN launched its subscription video on demand service Motor Trend OnDemand, which was the first SVOD service aimed at automotive enthusiasts.[15] TEN CEO Scott Dickey described this community as "underserved and starved for premium video content" while positioning the SVOD service as "The Netflix for Gearheads."[16]
On August 3, 2017, Discovery Communications announced it would acquire a majority stake in TEN, and contribute its automotive-oriented cable network Velocity into the company. The venture's goals is to create a larger, multi-platform presence for the company's brands, with a particular emphasis on direct-to-consumer streaming products. On April 10, 2018, it was announced that the company had been renamed Motor Trend Group effective immediately, and that Velocity would be rebranded under the Motor Trend name later in the year.[19][20][21][22]
In March 2018, the company sold Sound & Vision and Stereophile, along with related magazines and websites, to AVTech Media Ltd.[23] In February 2019, the company sold its adventure sports portfolio to American Media.[24] In December 2019, the company announced that 19 of the 22 magazines published by the company would be discontinued that month, including Automobile.[25] In December 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery sold the Motor Trend Group and most of its assets to Hearst Communications. The sale included MotorTrend, Hot Rod, Roadkill and Automobile.[26]
Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1982, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and TLC. In 2018, the company acquired Scripps Networks Interactive, adding networks such as Food Network, HGTV, and Travel Channel to its portfolio. Since the purchase, Discovery described itself as serving members of "passionate" audiences, and also placed a focus on streaming services built around its properties.
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Automobile was an American automobile magazine founded in 1986 by a group of former Car and Driver employees, led by David E. Davis with support from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, using the credo No Boring Cars. From 2014-2020, Automobile had been absorbed by the Motor Trend Group.
Hot Rod is an American car magazine devoted to hot rodding, drag racing, and muscle cars—modifying automobiles for performance and appearance. It was published monthly until 2024, when it transitioned to quarterly publication.
Car Craft was a magazine devoted to automobiles, hot rodding, and drag racing. It was published by the Motor Trend Group. It was established in 1953. The magazine published articles directed at inexperienced and expert car mechanics, such as rebuilding a carburetor.
Popular Hot Rodding was a monthly American automotive magazine from the Motor Trend Group, dedicated to high-performance automobiles, hot rods, and muscle cars. Though it focused primarily on vehicles produced from 1955 to the present day it maintained an emphasis on cars produced from the early 1960s through the mid 1970s.
Stereophile is a monthly American audiophile magazine which reviews high-end audio equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and audio-related news.
Transworld Snowboarding was an American magazine and website dedicated to snowboarding culture. When it closed, the magazine had most recently been published four times a year. The magazine featured articles on the sport, culture and lifestyle of modern snowboarding.
Skateboarder was primarily a digital skateboarding publication that produces a limited run of hard copy versions that are sold in skateboard shops. The publication was the United States' first skateboarding magazine. in August 2013, its editor was Jaime Owens and its publisher was Jamey Stone. On August 19, 2013, the magazine's owner GrindMedia announced that the publication would cease production on October 15, 2013.
Motor Trend is an American automotive television network owned by Motor Trend Group, a subsidiary of Hearst Magazines. It primarily broadcasts automotive-themed programming, including motorsports events.
Transworld Skateboarding (TWS) is an international magazine on skateboarding that was based in Carlsbad, California, United States. The publication also ran an accompanying website and video production company. In February 2019, the publishers of Transworld magazine, The Enthusiast Network, were purchased by American Media, Inc. In March 2019, the print edition of Transworld magazine was discontinued. It continues as a digital brand.
Sound & Vision was an American magazine, purchased by AVTech Media Ltd. (UK) in March 2018, covering home theater, audio, video and multimedia consumer products. Before 2000, it had been published for most of its history as Stereo Review. The magazine is headquartered in New York City. October/November 2024 is the last printed issued, with the brand continuing as a website.
Motorcyclist is an American online motorcycling magazine that was published in monthly print format for 107 years, from 1912 to 2017, then moving to six issues per year, until ceasing print publication and becoming online-only in 2019. Since 2013, it has been owned by Bonnier Group and headquartered in Irvine, California.
Robert Einar "Pete" Petersen was an American publisher who founded the Petersen Automotive Museum in 1994.
Bonnier LLC is an American "outdoor adventure" company that originally operated numerous U.S.-based media brands but struggled in the magazine publishing industry, leading to the decline or closure of several well-known titles. Formed in 2007 after Bonnier Group's acquisition of publishing assets from Time, today it operates events within the vertical of outdoor recreation.
CarDomain.com was an online community site for car enthusiasts. Users could create profiles of their cars including pictures and write-ups, view the work of others, talk to the other users and car enthusiasts, and create social network profiles.
Truckin' Magazine was a sport truck magazine published by TEN: The Enthusiast Network.
Roadkill is an automotive-themed internet show produced by the MotorTrend Group. It is hosted by former Hot Rod Magazine editor David Freiburger and former technical staff editor Mike Finnegan. Roadkill is primarily filmed in Southern California, with other episodes taking place across the United States, Canada and Australia.
Rick Péwé is an American writer, editor, photographer, and broadcast host. He was inducted into the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) in 2010. Other notable ORMHOF inductees include Steve McQueen, James Garner, Parnelli Jones, Mickey Thompson, Rod Hall, Ivan Stewart, Bob "Bigfoot" Chandler, Malcolm Smith and Walker Evans.
References
↑ "MotorTrend Privacy Policy". Retrieved March 2, 2023. We are Motor Trend Group, LLC., registered in the United States of America with company number 6453648 whose registered office is at 8403 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States of America ("MTG"). MTG is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
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