Agreements Signedby FutureNet

THE FUTURE NETWORK PLC
8 September 1999

             FUTURE  ADDS KEY ECOMMERCE AND
           COMMUNITY SERVICES TO ITS WEBSITES
                            
Online auctions, discussion forums and free e-mail
to be made available on all FutureNet websites

The  Future Network plc ('Future'), the video games, home
computing   and   other  specialist  consumer   magazines
publisher,  today  announces  that  its  global  Internet
business,   FutureNet  (www.futurenet.com),  has   signed
agreements  with  three  leading US  internet  technology
companies  to  provide  enhanced commerce  and  community
services to users of its websites and web networks.

FutureNet has signed agreements with Fair Market Inc, one
of  the leading providers of online auction services  for
web  based businesses; Delphi Inc, a leading provider  of
online   discussion  forums  for  consumer  and  business
websites; and, Critical Path Inc, the leading provider of
Internet  messaging and e-mail services to  corporations,
Internet service providers, Web hosting companies and Web
portals.

The  auction relationship will allow FutureNet  consumers
to  buy  and  sell  goods  across  a  worldwide  network,
including auctions from Dell, ZDNet, and other members of
the   FairMarket  network.   Future  will  share  in  all
transaction   revenue  generated  by  visitors   to   its
FutureNet-branded auction sites, and will  keep  all  the
advertising revenue generated from these sites.

Email  and  forums  add  core  interactive  services   to
FutureNet sites.  FutureNet will share in the advertising
revenue generated by traffic to these services.  Delphi's
forums  are  also a network, and FutureNet's content  and
brand  power  will attract a large number of  users  from
other forums, creating additional revenue opportunities.

Commenting on these agreements, Mark Gross, President  of
FutureNet,  Future  Network's  global  Internet  business
said:

'Content,  community and commerce are the three  legs  of
the  most  powerful Internet businesses today.   We  have
content.  Now we can truly build community and commerce'.

'Auctions are a great addition, letting our consumers buy
and  sell  in a world-wide market enhanced with specialty
information.   Forums and email are the  cornerstones  of
community.   All  three  will drive  traffic  and  repeat
visits,   creating   significant  ad,  sponsorship,   and
ecommerce  opportunities.  We  are  very  excited  to  be
linking up with these leading Internet players.'

'Adding  these services magnifies the importance  of  our
recent  relationship  with AOL and Netscape  Online.   As
primary  anchor  tenant with Netscape in  key  categories
like technology, games, sports, and entertainment, we can
now  offer  a full range of web services and  content  to
visitors  who  come  to our sites via  Netscape  Online's
Portal.'

Future's online activities include the operation of  over
18 magazine websites, with a further three due for launch
in  the  next  four weeks, the publication of  an  e-mail
games  newsletter and the creation of four  web  networks
focused on games, music and football.

For further information:

Greg Ingham, Chief executive 
Future Network               Tel: [phone]

Mark Gross, President        
FutureNet                    Tel: [phone]

James Longfield              
Hogarth Partnership          Tel: [phone]

Background on the Future Network:

The Future Network was founded in the UK in 1985.  Since
this time it has become the leading publisher of video
games and home computing magazines in the UK, France,
Italy and the US.  Headquartered in Bath, England, Future
is the fourth largest publisher in the UK.  It employs
over 1,400 people in offices in Bath, London, San
Francisco, New York, Paris, Milan and Munich.  Future
publishes over 100 magazines worldwide and has extensive
online activities generating over 50 million page views
per month.  Future was floated on the London Stock
Exchange in June 1999 and has a current market
capitalisation of over £680 million.

Background on FutureNet:

FutureNet is the global Internet business activity of The
Future Network.  It currently server the PC, Mac, Games,
Music and Football communities in the US and the UK with
sites like maximumpc.com, macdaily.com, samplenet.co.uk,
and ufn.co.uk.  FutureNet provides rich, community and
information-based services to people in these and related
markets worldwide.  The FutureNet model is simple:
Aggregate content (from Future's magazines and affiliated
sites) and provide services (such as auctions, e-mail and
discussion forums) to build high traffic in concentrated
areas that will be of great value to marketers.
FutureNet plans to role out in Germany, France, Italy and
other Future Network territories next year.

Background FairMarket:

FairMarket, Inc., founded in 1997 and based in Woburn,
Mass., provides online, hosted auctions for ecommerce
leaders. FairMarket AuctionPlace, is a fully outsourced,
private label, customized solution that helps companies
expand their reach and create a new ecommerce profit
center. FairMarket can be reached at 800- 531-7871, or
via the Web at www.fairmarket.com.

Background on Delphi Forums:

Delphi Forums is the Web's leading community creation
services company and the interactive ingredient in many
popular destination sites. Delphi provides its customers,
from large Internet sites to individual forum leaders, a
unique environment in which to create, manage, and grow
their online groups. Delphi's feature-rich, Web-based
discussion platform, sophisticated forum management tools
and comprehensive support appeal to Web companies wishing
to build communities quickly, inexpensively, and with no
internal development. With more than 300,000 active
forums and 1.6 million registered members, Delphi's
forums constitute the largest collection of self-managed
communities on the Web. Among Delphi's partners are:
MaximumPC.com, MacDaily.com, Xoom.com, Fox News Online
and Fox Sports Online, Inktomi, Advance Internet,
PlanetAll (a subsidiary of Amazon.com), and
Classmates.com.

Background on Critical Path:

Critical Path supplies full-service email solutions to
Internet Service Providers, Web hosting companies, Web
portals, telecommunications companies and corporations.
CP delivers reliable, secure, highly scalable email,
along with a flexible suite of enhanced messaging
services.