Mercury Capital
Mercury Capital is an Australian investment firm that owns a range of healthcare and media companies.[1]
Corporate history
On 17 June 2020, Mercury Capital purchased the Australia and New Zealand media assets of Bauer Media Group, which had sold them as a result of the economic effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. These included the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, the New Zealand Listener, and North and South. In addition, Mercury Capital acquired all of Bauer Media Australia's print and digital assets covering women's entertainment and lifestyle; fashion, beauty and health; food; and the motoring and trader lifestyle categories.[2][3] Notable Australian assets acquired by the company include Woman's Day, The Australian Women's Weekly, Rolling Stone Australia, Cleo, and Dolly.[4][5]
On 17 July 2020, Mercury Capital announced that it would resume publishing several New Zealand publications including Woman's Day, the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, The Australian Women's Weekly NZ, home category magazine Your Home & Garden, current affairs weekly New Zealand Listener, Air New Zealand's in-flight magazine Kia Ora, and the Property Press. The company will also be publishing the websites Now to Love, Homes to Love and Beauty Heaven. However, Mercury Capital will sell former Bauer brands North & South to independent publishers Konstantin Richter and Verena Friederike Hasel and Metro to Simon Chesterman respectively.[6][7][8]
Management
Mercury Capital's Chairman is Clark Perkins, who was born in New Zealand. Other board members include Sky Television founder Craig Heatley, Geoff Ricketts, and Tom Sturgess, all of whom have connections to New Zealand.[9][10]
Assets
In addition to most of Bauer Media's former Australian and New Zealand assets, Mercury Capital the Blue Star Group, which includes New Zealand printers Webstar, which produced several former Bauer–owned titles.[3][9]
References
- "Portfolio". Mercury Capital. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- "Bauer Media NZ bought by Australian investment company". Radio New Zealand. 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- Edmunds, Susan (17 June 2020). "Bauer magazines sold to private equity firm". Stuff. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- Kelly, Vivienne. "Bauer has left the building. What next for magazines in Australia?". Mumbrella. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- Whyte, Jemina (19 June 2020). "Magazine buyer writes new story". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- Edmunds, Susan. "The Listener and other Bauer mags return — some may be gone for good". Stuff. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- "Bauer resumes publishing of The Listener and NZ Woman's Weekly after Mercury Capital takes over". New Zealand Herald. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- "Bauer Media Aust & NZ fire sale to Mercury Capital completes". Mediaweek. 17 July 2020. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- Venuto, Damien (17 June 2020). "Bauer magazines - Listener, Woman's Weekly, Metro, North & South - sold to Mercury Capital". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- "Team". Mercury Capital. Retrieved 17 July 2020.