Stuff (company)


Stuff Ltd is a privately held news media company owned by Sinead Boucher and operating in New Zealand. It operates the country's largest news website, Stuff, and owns nine daily newspapers, including New Zealand's second and third-highest circulation daily newspapers, The Dominion Post and The Press, and the highest circulation weekly, Sunday Star-Times. Magazines published include TV Guide, New Zealand's top-selling weekly magazine.
In addition, Stuff Ltd owns social media network Neighbourly.

History

The print publications and Stuff.co.nz previously belonged to Independent Newspapers Limited, until they were sold to Australian company Fairfax Media in 2003. In December 2018 Fairfax Media merged with Australia's Nine Entertainment Co. Nine Entertainment attempted to sell Stuff in 2019 but did not receive any adequate bids.
On 11 May 2020, the company New Zealand Media and Entertainment made a second attempt to purchase Stuff for a symbolic $1 on the basis of saving jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Stuff's parent company Nine Entertainment terminated further discussion with NZME. In response, NZME filed an emergency junction at the Auckland High Court to force Nine Entertainment back into negotiations. On 19 May, the Auckland High Court rejected NZME's bid for an interim injunction against Nine Entertainment.
On 25 May, Nine Entertainment agreed to sell Stuff to Stuff's chief executive Sinead Boucher for NZ$1, with the transaction due to be completed by 31 May. This marks the return of the company into New Zealand ownership. Nine will retain all of the proceeds of the sale of wholesale broadband business Stuff Fibre to telecommunications company Vocus Group, and ownership of Stuff's Wellington printing press.

Management

Allen Williams was chief executive officer of Fairfax New Zealand Limited from April 2009 until April 2013, when he was promoted to managing director of Australian Publishing Media. Andrew Boyle was acting managing director until Simon Tong started as managing director in September 2013. Tong left in March 2017, just days prior to the Commerce Commission announcing their final decision on the proposed Fairfax New Zealand merger with New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Tong was succeeded by Boyle as acting managing director until Sinead Boucher was appointed chief executive officer in August 2017. Boucher had first been employed by Fairfax as a branch office reporter for The Press in 1993.

Current publications

Major mastheads

Community newspapers

Auckland

Wellington

Waikato

Other

Magazines

Former publications

Stuff announced in February 2018 that it would close or sell 28 of its smaller community and rural mastheads. The 28 titles are:

Digital properties

In November 2017 Stuff Ltd took full ownership of hyper-local social media network Neighbourly, having first bought a 22.5 percent stake in December 2014. In May 2018 Stuff Ltd took full ownership of internet service provider Stuff Fibre, which won the People's Choice Award, NZ Broadband Provider of the Year, Best Fibre Broadband Provider, and Best Broadband Innovation at the 2019 Broadband Compare Awards. Stuff Ltd also has a 49 percent share in New Zealand-based energy retailer energyclubnz.
In 2019, Stuff Ltd launched a video platform, Play Stuff. The website hosts free content sourced from content providers such as BBC, Reuters and the Press Association as well as local content from NZ On Screen and Bravo New Zealand.
In early 2020, Stuff sold both Stuff Fibre and its share of energyclubnz.

Awards

Stuff Ltd has won both national and international awards for its corporate leadership and management.
YearAwardCategoryResult
2017Attitude AwardsEmployer AwardWinner
2019Deloitte Top 200Diversity and Inclusion LeadershipFinalist
2019INMA Global Media AwardsBest new concept or innovation to create new profit centresFirst place
2019INMA Global Media AwardsBest idea to grow advertising sales or retain advertising clientsSecond place
2019INMA Global Media AwardsBest idea to encourage print readership or engagementThird place