• by Melynda Fuller , February 5, 2019

Set to expand its portfolio of sports titles, American Media LLC, publisher of National Enquirer, US Weekly and Men’s Journal, has acquired TEN:Publishing’s 14 brands under its Adventure Sports Network.

The new brands, which include Bike, Powder, Surfer, the Transworld titles and Snowboarder, join American Media Active Lifestyle Group. They will be aligned with Men’s Journals, another recent American Media acquisition.

The publisher also adds management of action sports event Dew Tour to its portfolio as part of the deal. Dew Tour hosts 84,000 fans at events in Long Beach, Calif., and Breckenridge, Colorado, each year. Other ASN brand-led consumer events are also included.

The acquisition adds more than 60 million monthly views across brands from the ASN titles. American Media Active Lifestyle Group’s titles will now deliver more than 35 million social media fans and followers.

American Media Chairman-CEO David J. Pecker stated the merger: “establishes a significant digital network and underscores American Media's commitment to diversifying our brand offerings and revenue streams." He said ASN's "digital and social scale will be important factors in our continued growth and success."

American Media’s most recent acquisition, Men's Journal, follows its completion of $460 million debt refinancing in January. The refinancing proceeds were used to repay the company’s bridge loan, used in June of last year to acquire Bauer U.S. celebrity and teen titles.

With the new deal, American Media received a new $235 million first lien term loan and a 10.5% second lien bond of $225, in addition to a $40 million line of credit.

At the time, a spokesperson told the New York Post American Media planned to increase production of special-interest publications.

In all, the company’s magazines have a total combined circulation of over 5.7 million and reach 49.4 million men and women each month. The company’s digital properties, which include OKmagazine.com, RadarOnline.com, Intouchweekly.com and MuscleandFitness.com, reach approximately 65 million unique visitors monthly.