The 24-page digital magazine, called Rio, will target 16- to 35-year-old "aspirational" males.
Feature content will include celebrity interviews with icons of sport, music, fashion, film and TV, technology, cars and travel. The first issue, available in February, will include interviews with rapper 50 Cent and '' actor Mickey Rourke.
'' will be free and distributed to an estimated database in excess of 500,000 globally.
The magazine will be available at a dedicated website, where there will be an email opt-in to receive the title.
'Rio' will be edited by co-founder and former '' and '' journalist Iestyn George. Ferdinand will be editor-in-chief of the magazine, making key editorial decisions and using his contacts book.
Ferdinand said: "I really like the idea of being able to create a digital magazine that brings everything to life, with great interviews and videos. We're looking forward to having a lot of fun putting it together."
George said: "The magazine aims to give a snapshot of the world that Rio inhabits and will be a reflection of his interests.
"We will be taking an innovative approach to publishing using our own multi-platform, page-turning digital magazine technology which allows us to deliver editorial content that you couldn't deliver in a traditional magazine format.
"There will be content you can watch, listen and download."
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