Heroes Media sells VSD to a château entrepreneur
- Aug 13
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Heroes Media has sold the French magazine VSD to entrepreneur Vianney d'Alançon — creator of a Puy du Fou-style historical park — a rare case of a profitable print title changing hands in a shrinking magazine market.
A profitable print title changes hands
Heroes Media has sold VSD to entrepreneur Vianney d'Alançon, known for building a Puy du Fou-style historical attraction at the Château de La Barben. Notably, VSD is reported to sell more than 40,000 copies and to be profitable — a rarity in a magazine sector under sustained pressure.
The buyer is not a traditional media group but an entrepreneur from the experience economy, which makes the deal an intriguing test of how heritage print brands can be reinvented.
Why the deal is worth watching
French print, like print everywhere, has been squeezed by digital. Yet VSD's profitability shows that a focused, loyal readership can still be a viable business — and an attractive asset — when costs are disciplined and the brand is distinctive.
Our read at Marketing Minute: a buyer from the experiences world may see VSD less as a declining magazine and more as a brand and an audience to extend across events, content and physical experiences. That is a very modern way to value a media property.
The lesson for media and brand owners
Media brands are worth more than their current format. A trusted name with a committed audience can be stretched into events, membership, commerce and experiences that a pure-play publisher might never attempt.
For any brand owner, the takeaway is to think in audiences and trust, not channels. The format may be print today, but the real asset is the relationship with readers — and that can be monetised in many more ways than a newsstand sale.
Quick FAQ
Who bought VSD magazine?
Heroes Media sold VSD to entrepreneur Vianney d'Alançon, who is known for creating a Puy du Fou-style historical park at the Château de La Barben.
Is VSD profitable?
Yes. VSD is reported to sell more than 40,000 copies and to be profitable — unusual in a French magazine market that has been under sustained pressure from digital.
Why does the deal matter?
A buyer from the experience economy may value VSD as a trusted brand and audience to extend across events and content, illustrating a modern way to reinvent heritage print titles.
— Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
The takeaway: a media brand's real asset is its audience and trust, not its format — and those can be extended into events, membership and experiences a publisher alone might never try.
Are you valuing your brand by its current format, or by the audience and trust behind it?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: CB News, Jean-Marc Morandini.
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Written by Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
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