MBR has posted an update saying it is “back” and now “fully independent”, after negotiating a licence for the MBR brand from owner Future Publishing.

What we know

MBR says it is back and now fully independent. It says it has negotiated a licensing deal for the MBR brand from Future Publishing, and that the deal was signed “just before Christmas”. MBR indicates the licence covers its social presence, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, and it has said to expect new content soon. As of today (13 January 2026), the mbr.co.uk News index shows the most recent visible publish date as 17 November 2025. The two guys behind it are Danny Milner and Alan Muldoon.

The announcement transcript reads:

"MBR is back. You might have noticed we've been a bit quiet lately, but there's a reason. Alan Muldoon and I have been working behind the scenes on a deal to license the MBR brand from Future Publishing. And just before Christmas, we got the news we've been waiting for. Permission to run MBR on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. That means we're in control, fully independent, no filters, no compromises. Think of it as MBR 2.0. Not quite rider-owned, but 100% rider-run. We're seriously excited about what's coming next, so subscribe, hit the notification bell, and get ready. Plenty of new MBR content coming soon."

You can watch it here.

What we don’t know

• Whether the licensing deal includes the mbr.co.uk website itself, or whether the website remains operated separately from the newly independent MBR operation or will close.
• Whether any historic MBR archives, trademarks, email lists, or other assets are included in the licence, and on what terms.
• Whether editorial and commercial operations are now fully separate from Future, or if Future still provides any services (ad sales, hosting, legal, etc.). The reel uses “fully independent”, but it does not spell out what sits behind that.
• The length of the licence, renewal terms, or any geographic scope
• Who the legal entity is behind the independent operation (company name and ownership details are not stated in the source material provided here).

Context

This update fits a wider pattern of long-running MTB media brands adjusting their models and ownership structures. For background, see: Shifting gears: MTB media faces a changing landscape.

iBikeRide supports the wider MTB media scene and has followed MBR’s output over the years, and wishes the new setup success.

Over to the community

• If you follow MBR, which channels do you actually use most (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok), and why?
• What would you expect to change, in practical terms, when an MTB title says it is operating independently?
• If the website remains quiet while socials restart, does that affect how you treat MBR as a source?