AI Licencing10 Mar 2026 22:12
Here’s the interesting part about Future plc and AI that a lot of investors may be missing.
1. Future has a huge content library
Future isn’t just a few websites — it operates around 175 specialist brands across tech, gaming, photography, music, homes, and more.
Examples include big authority sites like:
TechRadar
Tom’s Guide
PC Gamer
GamesRadar
What Hi-Fi
Digital Camera World
These sites produce expert reviews, buying guides, and tutorials, which are exactly the type of structured information AI models rely on.
2. AI companies are now paying publishers for this type of content
Large publishers have already started signing multi-million licensing deals with AI companies.
For example:
News Corp signed a deal worth up to $50M per year with Meta Platforms for AI training and real-time content use.
The Wall Street Journal
Other publishers like The Financial Times and Condé Nast have also licensed archives to AI companies.
The Times of India
This is creating a new revenue model for journalism.
3. Future’s content is actually perfect for AI
AI models especially value:
Product reviews
Comparisons
Buying guides
Tutorials
That’s basically Future’s core business.
Think about searches like:
“Best gaming laptop”
“Best mirrorless camera”
“Best headphones under £300”
A huge percentage of those answers come from Future brands like TechRadar or Tom’s Guide.
4. Future is already positioning itself for the AI era
In its own strategy updates, the company has said:
It is monetising visibility in large language models (LLMs)
It has secured contracts with major tech and luxury groups around AI visibility.
MarketScreener UK
They’re basically trying to ensure their content becomes the source AI tools cite.
5. Why some investors think the market is missing this
Right now the market still values Future mostly as:
an online advertising company
But it may increasingly be:
a content licensing platform for AI
plus affiliate commerce
If that narrative takes hold, the valuation multiple could change.
For example:
Current P/E ≈ ~7
Media companies historically trade 10–15
Even a re-rating to 12 P/E could mean ~70%+ upside if earnings stay stable.
Sign In
Follow the stocks
