Newspaper Publishers Industry Profile

Companies in this industry are engaged in operations like producing and distributing newspapers, and also include writing news and selling advertisements. The newspapers published are in both print and digital forms. Major companies include Gannett, McClatchy, and News Corp (all based in the US). Other major companies outside the US are Asahi Shimbun (Japan), Axel Springer (Germany), and the Daily Mail and General Trust (UK).

Global newspaper annual revenue from circulation (subscription and single-copy sales) and advertising is an estimated $115 billion. Global revenue declined by about 10%, with decreasing print advertising revenue accounting for much of the drop, according to the World Association of News Publishers. Growing digital ad revenue is, to some extent, offsetting the drop in print ad revenue. Globally, print ad revenue was down 20% and print circulation revenue down 13% in 2020 primarily due to the pandemic.

The US newspaper publishing industry includes about 7,300 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $26 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Corporate spending on advertising and consumer disposable income drive demand. The profitability of individual companies depends on effective marketing and efficient operations. Large companies benefit from economies of scale in administration and by providing a range of outlets for advertisers. Small publishers can compete successfully by serving desirable markets. The US industry is concentrated: the top 50 companies generate about 75% of revenue.

Competition for reader ...