What Time Inc. does

Time Inc., founded in 1922 in New York, was one of the largest magazine and digital media publishers in the United States, operating a portfolio of more than 90 titles spanning Time, Sports Illustrated, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and other consumer brands across entertainment, lifestyle, finance, health, and home verticals. The company historically generated revenue through a combination of print and digital advertising, consumer subscriptions, newsstand sales, and brand licensing. Between 2013 and 2017, Time Inc. executed an aggressive digital pivot, acquiring mobile- and social-native properties such as HelloGiggles (over 75% mobile traffic), FanSided, Cozi, XoJane, and Viant (an adtech platform), alongside American Express Publishing, to offset secular print decline and build data and audience capabilities.

By 2021, Time Inc. was acquired by IAC (now rebranded People Inc.) in a combined transaction with the Meredith brands valued at approximately $2 billion, ending its independent operations as a NYSE-listed company under ticker TIME. Following the acquisition, Time Inc.'s brands became part of People Inc., described on its corporate site as America's largest digital and print publisher, with offices in New York, Des Moines, Birmingham, and an India office supporting editorial and operational functions. The company maintains dedicated contact channels for advertising, marketing, press, subscriptions, brand licensing, and India operations. AI/ML capabilities are not evident in the available data; competitive moat relies on brand intangible assets, distribution scale, and audience data across its title portfolio.

Name

Time Inc.

Legal name

Time Inc.

Website

https://timeinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Time Inc. was a major U.S. magazine and digital media publisher founded in 1922, operating over 90 titles including Time, Sports Illustrated, and Travel + Leisure, serving consumer audiences across lifestyle, entertainment, and sports. It was acquired by IAC (now People Inc.) in 2021.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO), Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ), Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD), Device & App Lifecycle Management (Build, QA, Release, A/B Testing) (MPAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Magazine publishing
• Print media
• Digital publishing
• Lifestyle content
• Media advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Core offering

Time Inc. was a media company that published more than 90 magazines across categories such as entertainment, lifestyle, finance, health, home, travel, sports, and news, including flagship titles Time, Sports Illustrated, Travel + Leisure, and Food & Wine. It also operated digital media brands such as HelloGiggles, distributing content across web, mobile, and social platforms and monetizing the audience primarily through subscriptions and advertising.

Product overview

Time Inc. was one of America's largest magazine and digital media publishers, operating a portfolio of print and digital publications. Following its acquisition by IAC (now People Inc.) in 2021, Time Inc. became part of a consolidated media company. The company published multiple magazine titles and digital brands across categories including entertainment, lifestyle, finance, health, and home. HelloGiggles was one notable digital media brand acquired by Time Inc. to expand its reach with millennial women audiences through social and mobile channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Time
• Sports Illustrated
• Travel + Leisure
• Food & Wine
• HelloGiggles

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75% mobile traffic visitor base

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HelloGigglescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTime Inc. acquired HelloGiggles, a digital media brand focused on millennial women. The acquisition aims to evolve the brand into a full media content creator and leverage its high mobile traffic, which accounts for over 75% of its visitors. This strategic acquisition enhances Time Inc.'s focus on social media and mobile platforms.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Condé Nast: Major U.S. magazine publisher with a portfolio of iconic lifestyle, fashion, and culture titles (Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair). Directly comparable to Time Inc. as a legacy print publisher that has been pivoting to digital.
• Hearst Communications: Privately held media conglomerate with magazines (Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar), TV stations, and digital assets. Comparable as a diversified legacy publisher with a similar multi-title strategy.
• Meredith Corporation: Magazine publisher (People, Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart) that was bundled into the same IAC acquisition as Time Inc. Closest direct peer given portfolio overlap and shared ownership post-2021.
• Bauer Media Group: Global magazine publisher with a broad portfolio of consumer titles across lifestyle, entertainment, and women's interests. Comparable as a multi-brand consumer magazine operator expanding into digital.
• Dotdash Meredith: Digital-first publishing operator (now part of People Inc.) combining Dotdash's digital expertise with Meredith's legacy portfolio. The directly comparable digital arm that subsumed Time Inc.'s operations post-2021.

Emerging players

• Future plc: UK-based media company operating niche content brands across tech, gaming, and lifestyle. Comparable as a digital-first multi-brand publisher that has successfully acquired and scaled legacy titles into digital revenue.
• BuzzFeed, Inc. Digital-native media company targeting millennial/Gen Z audiences with social-first content. Comparable to Time Inc.'s digital pivot (especially HelloGiggles) in audience targeting and mobile-first distribution.
• Vox Media: Digital media company operating editorial brands (Vox, The Verge, New York Magazine) with strong data and audience-development capabilities. Comparable as a digitally sophisticated multi-brand publisher.
• Vice Media: Digital media company targeting younger audiences with video and editorial content. Comparable to Time Inc.'s millennial-focused digital acquisitions in target demographic and content format.

Broad incumbents

• Forbes Media: Established business and lifestyle media brand with diversified digital, print, and events revenue. Comparable as a legacy publisher that has navigated the print-to-digital transition with a recognizable flagship title.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Time_Inc
• Facebookfacebook.com/TimeInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A12 records

Investments7 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Time Inc.