Two of the entertainment industry’s top trade magazines specializing in theatrical exhibition will be consolidated under single ownership. Webedia Movies Pro, parent company of Boxoffice Media and its monthly print publication, Boxoffice, today announced an agreement with Film Expo Group, owner of Film Journal International, that will bring the two publications under the Boxoffice banner. Boxoffice will continue to be printed monthly and distributed to all members of the National Association of Theatre Owners, adding Film Journal International’s existing subscriber base to its circulation. The merger will unite two of the exhibition industry’s most iconic and prestigious trade magazines into a reference publication covering the global trends and topics in the cinema business.
“Boxoffice and Film Journal have been an essential resource for exhibitors since the early days of Hollywood. The merger strengthens the status of our respective publications by creating the world’s premier news source for theatrical exhibition,” said Julien Marcel, CEO of Webedia Movies Pro. “By joining forces, we will be able to uphold our legacy as the pulse of the motion picture industry.”
Founded in 1920 under the name The Reel Journal, Boxoffice has been an integral part of exhibition history for nearly a century. As part of the build-up to the magazine’s 100-year anniversary, Webedia Movies Pro will be relaunching Boxoffice.com in 2019 with a completely renewed look to better promote its growing array of data services. Boxoffice.com will continue being a destination for box office news, tracking, forecast, and analysis—featuring data-driven box office coverage and exclusive insights into the global exhibition industry. The merger will add the deep industry ties and expertise of Film Journal International, creating a digital B2B hub for the exhibition industry.
“This is the latest evolution in Boxoffice’s storied history, reflecting our commitment to the industry and ambition to grow alongside its success. Our new website will leverage the expertise of our colleagues at Webedia Movies Pro by bringing cutting-edge business intelligence tools to enhance our data-driven coverage,” said Daniel Loria, VP of Content Strategy & Editorial Director of Boxoffice Media. “Boxoffice has been a partner of theatrical exhibition for generations. This merger ensures that we’ll be able to continue that relationship across our print and digital platforms for decades to come.”
The combination of Boxoffice and Film Journal International will extend beyond the printed page. A leading resource on exhibitor data services and business intelligence, Boxoffice magazine will become the official publication of all Film Expo Group shows, expanding the influence of Webedia Movies Pro at events like CineEurope, ShowEast, and CineAsia.
“Film Journal International has been servicing the needs of the motion picture industry for nearly 85 years. By combining with Boxoffice, the global reach of the new publication will be even greater. More importantly it will provide an invaluable service and resource to our great industry” stated Andrew Sunshine, Associate Publisher of Film Journal. “We look forward to merging our resources and continuing this growth initiative. We are thrilled that Kevin Lally, our long time Executive Editor. and his Associate Editor, Rebecca Pahle, will continue on with the new entity,” continued Sunshine.
The move strengthens the growing business intelligence network of Webedia Movies Pro, which also includes Boxoffice France and Le Plus, two of France’s leading exhibition trade publications. The first issue of Boxoffice featuring Film Journal International will be released in January 2019.
About Webedia Movies Pro
Since 2007, Webedia has been targeting a passionate audience by building a global network of unique talents, media brands, events and services within the entertainment and recreation industries. With more than 50 sites worldwide under their wing and some of the most influential trendsetters on social media, the group attracts more than 229 million unique visitors (comScore, December 2017) each month on all devices. Webedia guides its clients through the process of defining and achieving their digital marketing strategies, offering solutions to their advertising, content marketing and e-commerce needs. Its B2B cinema division, Webedia Movies Pro, specializes in providing data services, marketing & ticketing, business intelligence, and publishing solutions for the global exhibition industry. Today, the company works in partnership with over 100 cinema chains around the world, providing accurate and reliable showtime data for over 70 countries to some of the world’s leading publishers and digital platforms.
About Film Expo Group
The Film Expo Group is the premier organizer of events in the motion picture industry. The Film Expo Group produces ShowEast, held in Miami; CineEurope, held in Barcelona; and CineAsia, held in Hong Kong.