Skip to content

Future Rebuffs Approach for The Week, Sky News Reports

Advisers claiming to act for DMGT approached Future about buying The Week and were rebuffed, while the London-listed publisher's shares have more than halved in a year, according to Sunday's Sky News report.

Future (LSE: FUTR) has rebuffed a tentative approach for The Week, its current affairs magazine, Sky News reported on Sunday.

The advisers claim to act for DMGT, the privately owned group that publishes the Daily Mail, and made the overture in recent months. Future is a London-listed media group that also owns the price comparison platform Go Compare.

Media industry sources reportedly said the approach came within the last three months and that no discussions are live. Sky stated that one source added that the advisers had floated a price of roughly £120m for the magazine.

FUTR.LSE

People close to DMGT downplayed the interest this weekend, according to the report. They said the company has been inundated with proposals to buy media assets since its purchase of The Daily Telegraph fell apart in embarrassing circumstances earlier this year.

One person close to Lord Rothermere, DMGT’s controlling shareholder, is said to have insisted DMGT had not made a formal offer for The Week.

Lord Rothermere had sealed an agreement to buy the right-leaning broadsheet, only to be gazumped by a higher bid from Axel Springer, the German publisher. DMGT is in a robust cash position after selling Trepp, a US data business, for $1bn earlier this year.

Future’s shares have more than halved in the last year, and Sky News put its market capitalisation at just over £250m on Sunday. For scale, the roughly £120m price floated by the advisers is under half of that figure.

Line chart of Future plc's share price over the 12 months to 23 October 2026
Future’s share price over the 12 months to Friday’s close.

Future and DMGT both declined to comment on Sunday. DMGT has made no formal offer and there are no live talks.

Asktraders News Team
Asktraders News Team
Team Member

The AskTraders Analyst Team features experts in technical and fundamental analysis, as well as traders specializing in stocks, forex, and cryptocurrency.

Stay ahead of the markets

Sign up to our free Morning Markets email, every weekday before the open.