Total revenues across all categories for January 2025 were down 0.7% as compared to January 2024, coming in at $1.2 billion. Trade (Consumer Books) revenues were down 0.3% in January at $741.5 million. In terms of physical format revenues during the month of January, in the Trade (Consumer Books) category, Hardback revenues were up 0.1%, coming in at $267.5 million; Paperbacks were down 4.3%, with $254.6 million in revenue; Mass Market was down 16.7% to $11.2 million; and Special Bindings were up 18.8%, with $19.9 million in revenue. In terms of digital formats, eBook revenues were up 0.9% for the month as compared to January 2024 for a total of $78.5 million, and the Digital Audio format was up 6.1% for January, coming in at $85.1 million in revenue. Physical Audio was down 2.5%, coming in at $600 thousand.

RTL Group subsidiary Fremantle is acquiring Asacha Media Group, a European production group based in Paris. The sellers are the company’s founders and managers and the investment company Oaktree Capital Management. Asacha owns majority shares in a total of eight award-winning production companies in France, Italy and the U.K., which produce series, films, shows, reality formats and documentaries for a wide range of clients. Under the terms of the agreement, Fremantle has the option to acquire the outstanding shares in the eight production companies over the next few years. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024. The acquisition of Asacha Media Group follows Fremantle’s recent acquisition of an 80-percent majority stake in the Singapore-based production company Beach House Pictures, which closed on February 8. Under the agreement, Fremantle has the option to fully acquire Beach House after 2027. For both acquisitions combined, RTL Group will invest over €200 million.

Award-winning foodie title Saveur is going all-digital under its new private equity owner 27 years after launching to critical acclaim. The food and recipe title was sold in October by Bonnier to North Equity as part of a package of magazines, including Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and Popular Science. North Equity has been buying up distressed print titles, often converting them to all-digital platforms. It also recently purchased decorating mag Domino and also owns bobvila.com.