Bath media group Future has snapped up music magazines Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog for £800,000 – less than four years after selling them for more than £10m.
Future bought the magazines from the administrators of debt-ridden publisher Team Rock, which collapsed shortly before Christmas. 
Glasgow and London-based Team Rock, which was founded in 2012 and called itself “the home of rock and metal”, had bought the magazines from Future in 2013 in the midst of the Bath group’s restructuring to overcome heavy losses.
At the time Future said the print titles did not fit in with its new direction of building digital platforms.
But while Team Rock’s website attracted more than 3m hits a month and it generated annual turnover of more than £6m, it had traded at a loss for a significant period before entering administration in December with the loss of 70 jobs.
The deal bringing the title back to Future includes the magazines, domain names, events, radio licence and websites of Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, Blues and the Golden Gods – an events operation linked to Metal Hammer.
Future’s existing music titles include Total Guitarist, Guitarist and Rhythm. The firm has gone on an acquisition spree over the past two years, buying four businesses including Blaze Publishing, a magazine publisher and event organiser in the music and field sports sectors.
Future chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne said: “The acquisition of these classic rock brands with their associated magazines, events and websites marks a further step in our buy and build strategy.
“It further reinforces our creation of a leading global specialist media platform with data at its heart, which we are monetising through diversified revenue streams.
“We look forward to developing further these iconic and much-loved brands and to continuing to serve their communities of dedicated enthusiasts around the world.”
In November Future, whose brands include Total Film, Edge, MacFormat and Xbox: The Official Magazine, reported a 187% surge in operating profits to £2.3m for the year to September 30 s on revenues flat at £59m. However, pre-tax losses widened from £2.3m to £14.9m.
