UK & US Circulation update

Future Network PLC
12 February 2004





12 February 2004



The Future Network plc



UK and US circulation update



The Future Network plc (LSE: FNET), the international magazine Group, today
releases the latest ABC audited circulation figures for 48 titles in its UK
portfolio of 60 monthly magazines and the latest circulation figures for its US
magazines. Average monthly sales in the UK for the audited titles were slightly
up at 1,787,825 copies, and were up by 23.6% to 1,906,828 copies in the US.



UK circulation highlights:



•         During the last year, Future has developed its UK magazine portfolio
by both launches and acquisitions, whilst two titles have been closed. The
overall UK trends for Future's portfolio are (i) growth in entertainment; (ii)
enhanced position within games; (iii) respectable performance for computing
titles in difficult market conditions.

•         The Entertainment division produced a strong performance, with an
overall increase of 9.3% year on year to 743,800 copies per month. All Future's
guitar titles increased with Total Guitar up 12.1% year on year. Modified car
magazine Redline was up 9.8% year on year at 72,106.  Total Film continued its
impressive growth record with its 13th successive rise, a year-on-year increase
of 5.4% to 90,580.

•         Future's UK games magazines increased sales by 4.2% to 667,085 copies
per month. Official PlayStation 2 Magazine continued its first-half performance
at 188,322. Official Xbox Magazine increased sales by 43% year on year to
82,732. Future's UK games magazines continued to out-perform the sector as a
whole, with share increasing from 62% to 69% year on year by volume and from 66%
to 73% by value.

•         Future's computing titles achieved respectable sales in a difficult
sector, with total sales down 11.5% year on year at 376,940 copies per month.
Some of Future's newer digital titles showed strong growth.  Microsoft Windows
XP; The Official Magazine was up 34.6% at 67,767, Digital Camera Magazine was up
14.4% to 33,221 and Linux Format increased 11.5% to 26,044.

US circulation highlights:



•         Overall, US circulation increased by 23.6% year on year, partly
reflecting the significant expansion of Future in the US by the recent
acquisitions of Guitar World and Guitar One.

•         Future's US Games magazine circulation growth has been driven by a 39%
increase from Official Xbox Magazine, which is now Future's largest selling
magazine of any sort at 403,222 copies per month.

•         Future continues to publish the largest selling PlayStation, Xbox and
PC games magazines in the US.

Greg Ingham, Chief Executive of The Future Network, commented:



'Overall these are satisfactory circulation figures. Future is a portfolio
business with some notable rises and falls, but growth overall. The benefits of
diversity are shown by a strong performance in the Entertainment division in the
UK and the promising start of our recently-acquired guitar magazines in the US.



'Within Games, the UK and US growth in Xbox is pleasing. And it is a real
achievement to have grown share in the UK and to be the platform leaders again
in the US.



'The Computing magazine sector continues to be tough, as expected. But we have
found growth in newer titles and this reflects well on our teams.'





9 January pre-close trading update:

On 9 January 2004, Future issued a pre-close trading update which stated that
the Board expected Group turnover for the year 2003 to exceed that for 2002 by
approximately 11%; that the Group's magazine portfolio overall had continued to
make progress; and that the Board remained confident that the Group's profits
for the year 2003 would be in line with consensus market expectations.

The Company's financial results for calendar year 2003 will be announced on
Wednesday 10 March 2004 and will be available on the Company's website at
www.thefuturenetwork.plc.uk


For further information:
The Future Network plc                                 01225 442244
Greg Ingham, Chief Executive

John Bowman, Group Finance Director

Hogarth Partnership                                    020 7357 9477
James Longfield/Georgina Briscoe






Notes to Editors:

A list of the ABC circulation figures for each audited UK title and publishers'
estimates for the US titles is attached.  The UK ABCs are the audited
circulation figures for the twelve months January to December 2003 unless where
stated.  Future currently publishes 60 monthly magazines in the UK, out of a
total of over 90 titles across the group.



The annual comparison includes continuing magazines, acquisitions and first time
ABCs but excludes closures and disposals.



The audited circulation figures for Future's US titles will be published by ABC
on 16 February 2004 and will subsequently be available at http://
www.accessabc.com/.





About The Future Network plc
The Future Network was founded in the UK in 1985. Today, it publishes over 90
consumer magazines worldwide, is the world's leading publisher of games and
guitar magazines and is the fifth largest consumer magazine publisher in the UK.



Approximately half of the Group's turnover relates to UK magazines sales.



Future employs around 1,000 people in offices in the UK, US, France and Italy.
In addition, 100 international editions of Future's magazines are also published
in 30 other countries across the world.



The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FNET).




A breakdown of the ABC figures for The Future Network's

individual UK titles audited for the period for Jan - Dec 2003 and Jul - Dec
2003


Entertainment                                         Jan - Dec 2003 (except where marked)
Total Film                                            90,580 (Jul - Dec 2003)
Cross Stitcher                                        72,215
Redline                                               72,106 (Jul - Dec 2003)
T3                                                    53,349
MBUK                                                  49,287
United - Official Man Utd Magazine                    45,550
Total Guitar                                          43,113
Classic Rock                                          40,347 (Jul - Dec 2003)
SFX                                                   38,402
Quick & Easy Cross Stitch *                           29,275
Metal Hammer                                          29,274 (Jul - Dec 2003)
Guitarist                                             26,550
Computer Music                                        24,928
Cycling Plus                                          23,338
Future Music                                          21,272
Guitar Techniques                                     19,746
Good Woodworking                                      18,015
Computer Music Special (quarterly *)                  17,689
Hi Fi Choice                                          11,420
What Guitar *                                         8,826
Rhythm                                                8,518


Games                                                 Jul - Dec 2003

PlayStation Magazines

Official PlayStation 2 Magazine                        188,322
PlayStation World (acquisition)                        66,525
PSM2                                                   43,684
Official PlayStation 2 Special Edition (bimonthly)     22,677
Cheatzone (replaces Official PlayStation 2 Tips)       18,500
Max - PS2 Gaming                                       13,175
Xbox Magazines

Official Xbox Magazine                                 82,732
Xbox World (acquisition *)                             22,310
Xbox Gamer                                             20,573
Official Xbox Special (quarterly)                      16,239
Other Games Magazines

PC Gamer                                               64,070
GamesMaster                                            53,902
Edge                                                   27,318
NGC                                                    27,058


Digital                                                Jan - Dec 2003 (except where marked)
Microsoft Windows XP: The Official Magazine            67,767 (Jul - Dec 2003)
PC Plus                                                57,201
PC Format                                              50,015
Digital Camera Magazine                                33,221 (Jul - Dec 2003)
PC Answers                                             31,232
Linux Format                                           26,044
Computer Arts                                          22,888
.net                                                   18,685
MacFormat                                              16,328
Computer Arts Projects                                 16,173
Internet Works                                         14,071
3D World                                               12,978
Internet Advisor                                       10,337


                                                Total 1,787,825



* first time ABC







Publishers' estimates of the ABC and BPA figures for The Future Network's

individual US titles for the period for Jul - Dec 2003




Games                                                  Jul - Dec 2003

Official Xbox Magazine                                 403,222
PSM                                                    401,890
PC Gamer                                               307,691
Computing

Maximum PC                                             312,907
MacAddict                                              180,414
Entertainment

Guitar World (acquisition)                             178,451
Guitar One (acquisition)                               122,253


                                                Total 1,906,828






                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange