Newsquest launches new sports title

Newsquest Specialist Media has launched a new bi-monthly sports magazine called Fighting Fit.

The new title is set to provide information and advice to combat sports enthusiasts on health, nutrition and training techniques, as well as product reviews, technical advice and fighter profiles.

Newsquest said it aims to target readers with an interest in combat sports, from beginners through to experts within the sector.

The publishing group hopes to capitalise on the increasing popularity of combat training techniques in gyms and fitness classes.

Fighting Fit launched at the weekend in A4 format, with a cover price of £4.35 and 100 pages in total – the initial circulation will be 20,000.

15 out of the 100 pages carried adverts from a variety of specialist equipment providers and nutritional and lifestyle companies, such as One Stop Boxing Shop and Rockstar Energy Drink.

Newsquest’s new launch comes just days after the group posted a 38.7% year on year advertising revenue decline in the first three months of 2009 (see Newsquest’s ad revenue down 38.7%).

Financial results published by the regional newspaper publisher’s US parent company Gannett also show that UK classified advertising revenue was down 45.1% in the first quarter.

Last week, chairman, president and chief executive of Gannett Craig Dubow, said: “Our results reflect the pressure on advertising demand across all of our business segments due to continuing recessions in the US and the UK.

“Our results, however, highlight the positive impact of the company’s efforts to operate its businesses as cost efficiently as possible in light of the revenue realities we are facing in this extraordinary time.

“Although business conditions remain very challenging, we continue to transform all facets of the company as we position it for a more favourable economic environment and the opportunities we see in the changing media landscape.”