Motor Trend Group

Motor Trend Group, LLC

Formerly	Source Interlink Media (2007–2014) TEN: The Enthusiast Network (2014–2018)
Company type	Private Subsidiary
Industry	Mass media
Founded	2007; 18 years ago (2007)
Headquarters	El Segundo, California , United States
Products	Magazines
Owner	Hearst Communications
Website	www.motortrendgroup.com

Motor Trend Group, LLC (formerly known as Source Interlink Media and TEN: The Enthusiast Network) is a media company that specializes in enthusiast brands, such as Motor Trend and Hot Rod. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, it was a subsidiary of the TNT Sports division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD)^[1] until being sold to Hearst Communications in 2024.^[2]

History

Source Interlink logo

Source Interlink was an American magazine publishing and logistics company. It owned Source Interlink Distribution and Motor Trend Group. It maintained a strong position in automotive and action sports media, publishing a variety of magazines including Motor Trend, Hot Rod, and the Transworld titles.^[3][4]

In September 2012, it was announced that Source Interlink Media (SIM) made a strategic investment in San Francisco technology company CoverHound to power its insurance searches.^[5]

Through its GrindMedia action sports division, SIM signed a deal with the Bonnier Corporation in May 2013, where they sold Dirt Rider, Motorcyclist, Sport Rider, Motorcycle Cruiser, Hot Bike, Baggers, Super Streetbike, Street Chopper and ATV Rider, whereas they bought Sound + Vision and the suite of TransWorld brands.^[6]

On August 19, 2013, GrindMedia announced that production of Skateboarder will cease on October 15, 2013.^[7] The Skateboarder announcement was followed by the closure of other publications, such as Modified, Mini Truckin', Bound By Ink, GEEK, and Law of Attraction, in January 2014.^[8][9] Former Skateboarder editor-in-chief Jamie Owens was announced as the new editor-in-chief of TransWorld SKATEboarding in October 2013.^[10]

On May 29, 2014, Source Interlink CEO Michael L. Sullivan announced that its distribution arm would soon cease operations. Time, Inc. had withdrawn its business over the inability of Source Interlink Distribution to pay $19 million in revenues owed for second quarter 2014 sales and $7 million for sales booked in previous quarters.^[11] The publishing arm would be rebranded under the umbrella of TEN: The Enthusiast Network after shuttering several Source Interlink Media titles, including Popular Hot Rodding, Rod & Custom, High Performance Pontiac, Custom Classic Trucks, 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility, Mud Life, 5.0 Mustangs and Super Fords, Modified Mustangs & Fords, Camaro Performers, GM High-Tech Performance, Import Tuner, and Honda Tuning. In addition to editorial staff, there were further layoffs in art and production staff that was later explained by VPs and executives as needed cuts to keep TEN on a sustainable path since losing the large distribution arm of its core business to reach the claimed audience in its dwindling circulation and online presence.^[12][13]

In 2015, NBC Sports shuttered its action sports division, and sold the Dew Tour to TEN.^[14] On August 17 of that same year, TEN launched its subscription video on demand service Motor Trend OnDemand, which was the first SVOD service aimed at automotive enthusiasts.^[15] TEN CEO Scott Dickey described this community as "underserved and starved for premium video content" while positioning the SVOD service as "The Netflix for Gearheads."^[16]

In 2017, TEN sold the AMA EnduroCross Championship to the Bonnier Motorcycle Group.^[17] TEN also sold Baseball America and Slam.^[18]

On August 3, 2017, Discovery Communications announced it would acquire a majority stake in TEN, and contribute its automotive-oriented cable network Velocity into the company. The venture's goals is to create a larger, multi-platform presence for the company's brands, with a particular emphasis on direct-to-consumer streaming products. On April 10, 2018, it was announced that the company had been renamed Motor Trend Group effective immediately, and that Velocity would be rebranded under the Motor Trend name later in the year.^{[19][20][21][22]}

In March 2018, the company sold Sound & Vision and Stereophile, along with related magazines and websites, to AVTech Media Ltd.^[23] In February 2019, the company sold its adventure sports portfolio to American Media.^[24] In December 2019, the company announced that 19 of the 22 magazines published by the company would be discontinued that month, including Automobile.^[25] In December 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery sold the Motor Trend Group and most of its assets to Hearst Communications. The sale included MotorTrend, Hot Rod, Roadkill and Automobile.^[26]

Titles

Publications and digital assets

• Hot Rod
• Motor Trend

Video on demand and broadcasting

• Motor Trend (cable channel)
• Motor Trend FAST TV (FAST streaming channel)
• Motor Trend VELOZ TV (Spanish-language FAST streaming channel)

The broadcasting and streaming services are retained by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Former titles

• Motor Trend+ (subscription streaming service) - discontinued 2024, most subscribers transferred to Discovery+^[27]
• Four Wheeler - ceased publication 2023
• Roadkill - ceased publication as magazine 2018 and the web show will finish in 2025^[28]

Earlier discontinuations

• 8-Lug HD Truck magazine - ceased publication 2015
• Audiostream - ceased publication 2018
• Bound by Ink - ceased publication 2014
• Canoe & Kayak - ceased publication 2017
• Circle Track - ceased publication 2018
• Dirt Sports + Off-Road - ceased publication 2018
• European Car' '- ceased publication 2019
• Geek- ceased publication 2014
• Innerfidelity - ceased publication 2018
• Intellichoice - ceased publication 2012
• Law of Attraction Magazine - ceased publication 2013
• Mini Truckin- ceased publication 2014
• Off-Road- ceased publication 2019
• Petersen’s PHOTOgraphic - ceased publication 2013
• Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road - ceased publication 2019
• Shutterbug - sold and ceased publication 2019
• Snowboarder - sold and ceased publication 2020
• Surfer - sold and ceased publication 2019
• Surfing Magazine - ceased publication 2017
• TransWorld Business- sold and ceased publication 2019
• TransWorld Motocross- sold and ceased publication 2019
• TransWorld Ride BMX - sold and ceased publication 2019
• TransWorld SKATEboarding- sold and ceased publication 2019
• TransWorld SNOWboarding - sold and ceased publication 2019

December 2019 discontinuations

• Automobile
• Car Craft
• Chevy High Performance
• Classic Trucks
• Diesel Power Magazine
• Hot Rod Deluxe
• Jp
• Lowrider
• Mopar Muscle
• Muscle Car Review
• Mustang Monthly
• Street Rodder
• Super Chevy
• Super Street
• Truck Trend
• Truckin' Magazine
• Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road
• Vette
• Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords

2020 discontinuations

• Bike - sold & ceased publication 2020
• Powder - sold & ceased publication 2020
• SUP Stand Up Paddler - sold & ceased publication 2020

Merchandise

• And1 Advertising

See also

• Fausto Vitello

References

1. "MotorTrend Privacy Policy". Retrieved March 2, 2023. We are Motor Trend Group, LLC., registered in the United States of America with company number 6453648 whose registered office is at 8403 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States of America ("MTG"). MTG is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
2. "MotorTrend Acquired by Hearst, Owner of Car and Driver, Road & Track". The Drive. December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
3. "Source Interlink Media Rebrands As TEN: The Enthusiast Network". Transworld Business. GrindTV. May 29, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
4. "Motor Trend Publisher Source Interlink Media Folds 12 Magazines, Lays Off Nearly 100". Ad Age. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
5. "CoverHound Announces Strategic Partnership with Source Interlink Media". September 12, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
6. Mike P (May 21, 2013). "Grind Media Buys TransWorld". SBCBusiness.com. SBC Business Magazine. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
7. Kailee Bradstreet (August 19, 2013). "GRINDMEDIA TO DISCONTINUE PUBLISHING SKATEBOARDER MAGAZINE". TransWorld Business. GrindMedia. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
8. Matt Hardigree (January 31, 2014). "Modified Magazine Killed As Source Interlink Rumored To Lay Off Dozens". Jalopnik. Gawker. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
9. "Source Interlink Reportedly Folding Modified, Plus Dozens of Layoffs". February 3, 2014.
10. "TWS New Editor In Chief Jaime Owens Interview". Skateboarding Magazine. The Enthusiast Network. October 29, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
11. Kaufman, Leslie (May 30, 2014). "After Losing Time Inc. Business, Distributor Is to Close". New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
12. Mickey, Bill (May 30, 2014). "Source Interlink Media Rebrands, Closes 12 Titles New corporate identity: TEN: The Enthusiast Network". FolioMag.
13. "Source Interlink Media Rebrands As TEN: The Enthusiast Network". May 29, 2014.
14. Fischer, Ben (January 16, 2017). "New ownership gives Dew Tour some pop". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
15. "TEN Officially Launches Groundbreaking Motor Trend OnDemand SVOD Service". www.motortrendgroup.com.
16. "TEN Officially Launches Groundbreaking Motor Trend OnDemand SVOD Service - Motor Trend Group". www.motortrendgroup.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018.
17. "Bonnier Motorcycle Group To Take Over Ownership of EnduroCross Series". Cycle World. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
18. "Baseball America Sold | SGB Online". February 14, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
19. Evans, Greg (August 3, 2017). "Discovery Communications Partners With TEN Network For Auto Portfolio". Deadline. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
20. Petski, Denise (April 10, 2018). "Discovery Rebrands Velocity As Motor Trend Network". Deadline. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
21. Littleton, Cynthia (April 10, 2018). "Discovery Rebrands Velocity as Motor Trend Network (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
22. "Discovery Launches 'Motor Trend On Demand' in UK on Amazon Channels". Multichannel. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
23. "AVTech Media Ltd (UK) Acquires Home Tech Network From Ten Publishing Media". Stereophile.com. March 22, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
24. "American Media Acquires TEN's Adventure Sports Magazines". Folio. February 5, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
25. Gastelu, Gary (December 9, 2019). "MotorTrend publisher TEN Publishing discontinuing 19 automotive magazines". Fox News. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
26. Spangler, Todd (December 12, 2024). "Warner Bros. Discovery Sells MotorTrend Group to Hearst". Variety. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
27. Spangler, Todd (February 23, 2024). "MotorTrend+ Streaming Service Will Shut Down, With Most Subscribers to Be Migrated to Discovery+". Variety. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
28. "Is Roadkill Canceled!? There's Still Plenty on the Road Ahead". Motor Trend. November 18, 2024. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.

External links

• Former sourceinterlink site at the Wayback Machine (archived 2012-02-24)