Hearst To Buy 100 Magazine Titles From Lagardère

Hearst Corporation, the American magazine giant that publishes Cosmopolitan, Esquire and Better Homes and Gardens, said Monday that it had agreed to acquire more than 100 magazines from the French publisher Lagardère in a deal that would make Hearst the second-largest domestic magazine company and greatly expand its international footprint.

Both companies stand to benefit from the deal, which is expected to close in the second half of the year. For Lagardère, which has been seeking to shed its sprawling international operations and focus more on domestic publishing and sports marketing, the deal demonstrates responsiveness to shareholder pressure.

For Hearst, which has lagged behind Condé Nast in the lucrative fashion and beauty advertising category, the deal offers considerable scale in that market. Hearst will acquire the American edition of Elle, which competes head to head with Condé Nast’s Vogue for ads.


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