BFC Media S.p.A.

BFC Media S.p.A. is an Italian multimedia group specialised in financial information and products aimed at retail investors. Founded in Milan in 1995 by Denis Masetti as Blue Financial Communication Srl (commonly shortened to BFC), the company built its reputation on titles and platforms serving financial advisers, private bankers and small investors. Its best-known publications include the Italian edition of Forbes, launched in autumn 2017 under licence from Forbes Media LLC, alongside Bluerating, Private, Nautica, Robb Report, Asset Class and Superyacht. The group also operates digital properties such as Bluerating.com and FinanzaOperativa.com, and has expanded into events, video and television. The company was listed on Borsa Italiana's AIM Italia market under the ticker BLUE from December 2015 until a delisting decided by its new ownership structure took effect on 21 July 2023. In December 2021 control of the group passed to Danilo Iervolino through the holding company Idi S.r.l. Denis Masetti, the founder, served as chairman until 27 July 2023. The corporate name was officially changed from Blue Financial Communication S.p.A. to BFC Media S.p.A. on 22 April 2021, although the BFC Media brand had been used publicly since 2019. BFC Media describes itself as "La prima AI Media Company Italiana" — the first Italian AI media company — positioning innovation, artificial intelligence and premium content at the centre of its strategy to redefine the future of media in Italy. Its portfolio spans monthly magazines, quarterly titles, digital platforms, live events such as ITForum in Rimini and Milan, and television and video productions. The group's television ambitions began in 2018 with the BFC Video division and led to the launch of the BFC channel on Sky (channel 511) and Tivùsat (channel 61) on 12 June 2019, followed by projects such as BIKE Smart Mobility. Through acquisitions including a 70% stake in Gruppo B Editore (renamed BFC Space srl) in July 2019, BFC Media extended its reach into the New Space Economy with titles such as Le Stelle, Nuovo Orione and COSMO. The group remains active in the Italian media landscape, combining traditional publishing with digital, events and broadcast activities.

BFC Media was founded in Milan in 1995 by Denis Masetti as Blue Financial Communication Srl, commonly abbreviated to BFC. In 1997 the company launched Bluerating.com, a website and digital platform addressed to the community of financial advisers. That same year it created the weekly Bloomberg Investimenti, a nationally distributed newspaper directed by Alessandro Rossi in partnership with Michael Bloomberg; this participation was sold in 2002. In 2002 the monthly HEDGE was launched, a newsmagazine dedicated to private banking and alternative investments that continued publication until 2009, the year of the severe hedge fund crisis. In 2003 the monthly ADVISOR was created and launched for the world of financial advisers and asset managers; it was later sold at the end of 2010 to the publisher Open Financial Communication. In 2009 SOLDI was born, a weekly of personal business distributed nationally in newsstands until 2013, then replaced by the website soldiweb.com. In 2013 the monthly Bluerating advisory e asset management was launched, sent to financial advisory agencies in Italy and to the main bank agencies, as well as distributed at newsstands and industry events. In November 2015 the monthly magazine Private was created, dedicated to private banking. On Friday 11 December 2015, Blue Financial Communication S.p.A. was admitted to AIM Italia — the alternative capital market of Borsa Italiana — under the symbol BLUE, following a placement of 750,000 ordinary shares, 90% from a capital increase and the remaining part from shares on sale (10%). In May 2016 iFinance was launched, a monthly dedicated to techno-finance and digital business, and in July the subsidiary iFinance Media Ltd. was founded in London, focused on developments in the sector. Also in 2016 the company acquired a majority stake in Spring Eventi Srl (now Investment & Trading Events Srl), organiser of the ITForum in Rimini, an event dedicated to online trading and managed savings; after the acquisition the event doubled its annual appointments with a second event organised in Milan. In 2018 the monthly Asset Class was launched, a new magazine directed by Andrea Giacobino covering Italian and international asset management, with a broad section of product analysis and comparison produced in collaboration with the rating agency Morningstar. At the end of June 2018 the online trading website FinanzaOperativa.com, active since 2013, was acquired; it offered operational investment advice from macroeconomic, technical and fundamental analyses, along with insights on asset classes, managed savings, investment instruments and financial education. FinanzaOperativa.com was later merged into Bluerating.com during 2021. In autumn 2017, under licence from Forbes Media LLC, Blue Financial Communication launched the Italian edition of the monthly Forbes with editor Alessandro Mauro Rossi. The cover of the first issue, photographed by Oliviero Toscani, featured James Ferragamo, heir to the Salvatore Ferragamo fashion house. In December 2017 the first event under the FORBESlive brand was organised. During 2019 the company began to be known as BFC Media, although the official change of corporate name only came in 2021. BFC Media's commitment to television began in 2018 with the creation of the BFC Video division through a partnership agreement with the channel Reteconomy and the daily production of TgBluerating, to which other programmes were added in subsequent months. After 10 months of independent video productions, on 12 June 2019 the new BFC channel went on air on Sky channel 511, on Tivùsat channel 61 and streaming on the website bfcvideo.com. In 2020 the channel planned 25 original productions and agreements with partners such as Euronews, Bloomberg Television, Askanews and TaTaTu. From November 2019 Valerio Gallorini, a historic figure in Italian radio and television, joined to head the audiovisual area. In May 2020 the BIKE Smart Mobility project was launched on Sky channel 222 and on digital terrestrial channel 259, as well as streaming. On 9 July 2019 BFC Media acquired 70% of the publisher Gruppo B Editore (renamed BFC Space srl), which had for years published the monthlies Le Stelle and Nuovo Orione, with the aim of developing a new vertical business line linked to the growing interest in the New Space Economy industry. In October 2019 the monthly magazine COSMO and the website www.BFCspace.com were launched. The cover of the first issue of COSMO featured British entrepreneur Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic. In May 2020 BFC Media gave life to the BIKE Smart Mobility project. The corporate name was officially changed from Blue Financial Communication S.p.A. to BFC Media S.p.A. on 22 April 2021. In December 2021 control of the group passed to Danilo Iervolino through the parent company Idi S.r.l. Denis Masetti served as chairman until 27 July 2023. The new corporate structure decided on a delisting from Borsa Italiana effective from 21 July 2023. Today BFC Media presents itself as the first Italian AI media company, publishing Forbes, Bluerating, Private, Nautica and the quarterlies Robb Report, Asset Class and Superyacht.

• 2023

  Denis Masetti's chairmanship ended on 27 July; delisting from Borsa Italiana effective 21 July.

• 2021

  Official name change to BFC Media S.p.A. on 22 April; control passed to Danilo Iervolino via Idi S.r.l. in December.

• 2020

  Launched BIKE Smart Mobility project in May.

• 2019

  Launched BFC TV channel on Sky 511 and Tivùsat 61 on 12 June; acquired 70% of Gruppo B Editore (BFC Space srl) on 9 July; launched COSMO and BFCspace.com in October.

• 2018

  Launched Asset Class monthly; acquired FinanzaOperativa.com; began BFC Video division.

• 2017

  Launched Forbes Italia in autumn; organised first FORBESlive event in December.

• 2016

  Launched iFinance monthly and founded iFinance Media Ltd. in London; acquired majority of Spring Eventi Srl (ITForum).

• 2015

  Launched the monthly Private; listed on AIM Italia under ticker BLUE on 11 December.

• 2013

  Launched the monthly Bluerating advisory e asset management.

• 2009

  Launched the weekly SOLDI.

• 2003

  Launched the monthly ADVISOR.

• 2002

  Sold its stake in Bloomberg Investimenti; launched the monthly HEDGE.

• 1997

  Launched Bluerating.com and the weekly Bloomberg Investimenti in partnership with Michael Bloomberg.

• 1995

  Founded in Milan by Denis Masetti as Blue Financial Communication Srl.

Italian multimedia group and self-described first AI media company, focused on premium financial information for retail investors and financial professionals.

• Forbes Italia

• Bluerating

• Private

• Nautica

• Robb Report

• Asset Class

• Superyacht

• COSMO

• Le Stelle

• Nuovo Orione

• Bluerating.com

• FinanzaOperativa.com

• BFC TV channel

• ITForum

1. 1BFC Media - La prima AI Media Company Italianabfcmedia.com
2. 2BFCmedia - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3BFC Media - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org