Metro International

For other newspapers with the same name, see Metro (disambiguation).

Metro International

Type	Public (OMX: MTROA, (OMX: MTROB)
Format	Compact
Founded	1995
Headquarters	Luxembourg
Official website	www.metro.lu

Metro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the Metro newspapers. Metro International's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 41% since launch of the first newspaper edition in 1995.^[1] It is a freesheet, meaning that distribution is free, with revenues thus generated entirely through advertising. This newspaper is primarily intended for commuters who move daily in and out of big cities' business areas, mainly during rush hours.

The company was founded by Per Andersson and started as a subsidiary of the Modern Times Group along with Viasat Broadcasting. It is now controlled through investment company Kinnevik. The first edition of the newspaper was published as Metro Stockholm and distributed in the Stockholm Metro.

Metro newspapers

The Dutch Metro - Amsterdam from 31 August 2007

As of October 2009, there were 56 daily editions in 19 countries in 15 languages across Europe, North and South America and Asia, for an audience of more than 17 million daily readers and 37 million weekly readers.^[1]

Metro newspaper editions are distributed in high-traffic commuter zones or in public transport networks via a combination of self-service racks and by hand distributors on weekdays. Saturday editions are published in Stockholm, Santiago, São Paulo and Lima. The distribution points are located either in or around public transport networks (subways, trains, buses, trams), office buildings, retail outlets, at key distribution points on busy streets, or in other high-density population areas such as college campuses.

The local name of the Metro newspaper editions may vary due to trademark issues. Peruvian, Chilean and Mexican editions are called Publimetro and the Spanish edition is named Metro Directo. Another freesheet called Metro is published in twelve areas around Britain by Associated Newspapers: see Metro (Associated Metro Limited).

In the UK, this is not related to Metro International, which used the name Morning News for its (now defunct) freesheet distributed there. Metro International and Associated Metro do however collaborate on the Dublin Metro newspaper (launched 10 October 2005), which they both own a third of, along with The Irish Times. The Dublin Metro newspaper uses the Associated Metro logo and format, however.^[2] It is reported that Metro International has plans to launch a rival free evening newspaper in London.^{[citation needed]}

Metro International launched several editions in Canada during 2000, leading to the creation of several commuter newspaper competitors, such as Sun Media's 24 Hours.

Not all newspapers named Metro are part of the Metro International group. For example, in Belgium Concentra publishes the free daily newspaper Metro and in Caliifornia Metro Silicon Valley is a free weekly newspaper founded in 1985, neither of which have links to Metro International.

Timeline of Metro editions

• Metro was first launched in Stockholm on 13 February 1995.
• A German-language edition is published in Switzerland by Metro Publication (Schweiz) AG under the name Metropol on 31 January 2000 as a direct competitor to 20 Minuten. The newspaper ceased publication without announcement on 13 February 2002.
• In 2000, a Spanish edition named Publimetro is published in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a circulation of 390,000.^[3] Facing competition from the free daily La Razon published by Grupo Clarin, Publimetro is suspended indefinitely a year later.^[4]
• A weekly magazine named Metropop starts publication in Hong Kong on April 27, 2006 (published on Thursdays).
• At the end of 2006, Metro started a dedicated technology paper, Metro Teknik (English section)^[5] which is distributed weekly to companies, science parks, and technical universities around Sweden.
• Due to financial difficulties in the press sector in general, and the free press in particular, Metro International closed down its Polish edition on January 5, 2007. Earlier, the Danish afternoon version of the newspaper was closed down, and the business in Finland was sold.
• As of October 2008, the Croatian Metro edition was also cancelled, due to disappointing advertorial income.
• As of January 29, 2009, Metro International closed down its Spanish operations.

Metro editions by region

Asia

• Hong Kong (known as Metropolis Daily in English)
• Republic of Korea (South Korea)
  • Busan
  • Seoul

Europe

City editions

• Belgium
  • Antwerp
  • Brussels
• Czech Republic
  • Brno
  • Prague
• Denmark
  • Aarhus
  • Copenhagen
• Finland
  • Espoo
  • Helsinki
  • Hyvinkää
  • Hämeenlinna
  • Järvenpää
  • Kauniainen
  • Kerava
  • Kirkkonummi
  • Lahti
  • Mäntsälä
  • Riihimäki
  • Tampere
  • Turku
  • Vantaa
• France
  • Bordeaux
  • Lille
  • Lyon
  • Marseille
  • Metz
  • Nancy
  • Nantes
  • Nice
  • Paris
  • Rennes
  • Strasbourg
  • Toulouse
• Greece
  • Athens
• Hungary
  • Budapest
• Ireland
  • Dublin
• Italy (see article)
  • Bergamo
  • Bologna
  • Genoa
  • Florence
  • Milan
  • Padua
  • Rome
  • Turin
  • Venice
  • Verona
  • Cagliari
  • Sassari
• Netherlands
  • Amsterdam
  • Rotterdam
  • The Hague
• Portugal
  • Lisbon
  • Porto
• Russia
  • Moscow
  • Saint Petersburg
• Serbia
  • Belgrade
• Spain
  • Alicante
  • Barcelona
  • Bilbao
  • Castilla-La Mancha
  • Elche
  • Galicia
  • Madrid
  • Málaga
  • Seville
  • Valencia
  • Zaragoza
• Sweden (see article)
  • Gothenburg
  • Norrköping
  • Skåne (Malmö/Lund)
  • Stockholm

National editions

• Belgium (two editions: one in Dutch and one in French)
• Denmark
• Hungary
• Finland
• Georgia
• Netherlands
• Poland (Closed)
• Portugal
• Spain (Canary Islands edition)
• Sweden (see article)
• Switzerland (German language area) (closed 2002)

North America

Canada Calgary Edmonton Halifax London Montreal Ottawa Toronto Vancouver Winnipeg

Mexico Mexico City Monterrey

United States Boston New York City Philadelphia

Oceania

• Sydney (closed/did not exist)^{[clarification needed]}

South America

Brazil ABC Region Belo Horizonte Campinas Curitiba Porto Alegre Rio de Janeiro Santos Sao Paulo

Chile Chillán Concepción Curicó Rancagua Santiago Talca Talcahuano Valparaíso

Colombia Bogota

Ecuador Guayaquil Quito

Perú Lima

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Hugin.info
2. ^ Desmond in Swedish talks over London freesheet | Media | MediaGuardian
3. ^ Hora De Cierre - The Official Publication of the IAPA's Press Institute
4. ^ Newspaperinnovation.com
5. ^ Metro.se

External links

• Official website
• Metro U.S.—Official site of American editions
• Read Metro—Official site for all the digital copies of Metro Newspapers.
• Metro Canada—Official site of Canadian editions
• Metro Teknik—Web site of Metro's technology magazine
• Publimetro Mexico—Web site of Publimetro Mexico
• Publimetro Peru—Web site of Publimetro Perú
• Publimetro Chile—Web site of Publimetro Chile
• Metro France—Web site of French editions