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

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