BSkyB has confirmed it’s closing its two print customer magazines from August to focus on digital communications.

Sky will produce a quarterly customer publication rather than the monthly Sky Magazine, and will close two customer magazines – Sky Sports Magazine and Sky Movies Magazine, both published every two months – in July.

The decision will see the two titles replaced by a weekly email offering Sky subscribers greater links to and digital interaction around programme highlights and content.

The email will let Sky deliver more timely and engaging information on its content through the use of video, for example, it said.

Around 20 roles at Sky will be at risk, although around a dozen are expected to be redeployed on the digital communications offering.

According to Sky, the move is in response to the “accelerating levels of digital engagement with customers”.

A Sky statement said: “As a brand which sits at the heart of digital entertainment and communications, online increasingly offers more immediacy, engagement and interaction. As well as being in step with the changing behaviours of many millions of our customers, it’s also a more efficient way to stay in touch with Sky homes.

“We are currently in consultation with all affected staff about the proposals, which include some existing roles being made redundant and the creation of new roles in digital,” it continued.

Future Publishing, which produces Sky Movies Magazine as part of its custom publishing division, will be affected by the closure. It said in its most recent interim management statement that customer publishing revenues were up 18%. Customer publishing and digital were the biggest revenue streams for the company

FuturePlus MD Jayne Caple said:

“Having published Sky Movies Magazine for four highly successful years, we’re disappointed that Sky has decided to close the magazine from July. But FuturePlus has had a fantastic 12 months, with no shortage of new business wins and more in the pipeline. We’re confident that the impact on us will be minimal.”

Source: nma