Le Monde Expands Digital Distribution with Exclusive PressReader Partnership
Le Monde, one of France’s leading national newspapers, has signed an exclusive partnership with PressReader to distribute its daily print edition and Le Monde in English to airlines, hotels, healthcare facilities, and retirement homes. This strategic move aims to broaden Le Monde’s reach and audience, both domestically and internationally, targeting key professional demographics.
“Le Monde in English” is a daily compiled edition that will launch on July 1st, aimed at augmenting the current offerings with a curated selection of articles from the “Le Monde in English” website. PressReader thus becomes the first digital newsstand to provide clients in the relevant sectors with content from Le Monde.
“France is a key market for PressReader, where we have redoubled our efforts over the past year, signing around 30 new publishers and strengthening our position in the tourism sector with over 700 hotels equipped with our digital kiosk solution,” explained Thibaut Vilmant, Director of Partnerships, responsible for development in France.
Exclusive B2B Distribution Rights
Under this agreement, PressReader now holds exclusive B2B distribution rights for Le Monde and Monde in English in the critical transportation, tourism, and healthcare sectors, both in France and internationally. The daily editions of Le Monde and Monde in English are now accessible through PressReader’s transportation partners (15 airlines, Spanish railways, and cruise lines MSC and Ponant), thousands of hotels worldwide (properties of the Accor Group, Best Western, and recently B&B Hotels), as well as affiliated nursing homes and retirement communities.
A New Approach for Le Monde
This agreement marks a new direction for Le Monde, which had previously refused to distribute its content through digital kiosks. Collaborating with PressReader opens up new prospects, according to Lou Grasser, Le Monde’s Director of Digital Operations. “This agreement allows us to continue our mission: to provide reliable and ambitious journalism to the widest possible audience worldwide, drawing on a recognized partner with a powerful network and high-quality solution. Between 80% and 85% of PressReader’s French content is consumed abroad.“
Targeting the French Market
For PressReader, this exclusive deal with Le Monde reflects a clear intent to expand its presence in the French market. The Canadian company, operating in 150 countries with around 7,000 publications, has now secured exclusive agreements with three major titles: The Economist, The New York Times, and now Le Monde. “It’s important because Le Monde is a reliable source of information for readers around the world,” Vilmant explained, noting that around 30 new French publishers, such as Le Point, L’Humanité, and Editions Larivière, have recently bolstered PressReader’s catalog of some 250 French titles. “In parallel, we have expanded our B2B distribution network into well-identified verticals, such as media libraries, transport networks, healthcare facilities, and businesses,” he added. “Our economic model is essentially based on these, although we don’t rule out reaching the general public – a market where other players, like Cafeyn or the new Passpresse (Prisma media), already exist.“
Complementary Service Offerings
Beyond its digital news kiosk, PressReader offers additional services to publishers, including compiled editions that can transform article feeds into concise, easily accessible PDF editions. In France, this includes Le Figaro Sport and, since the beginning of the year, L’AFR. “We also position ourselves as a technology partner with our content transformation and monetization solutions, via our reader, web kiosks, and apps,” Vilmant added. While clients such as The Guardian, El Pais, and the Toronto Star use these services, PressReader has yet to secure a reference client in France for this offering.
Through this exclusive partnership, Le Monde aims to leverage PressReader’s extensive distribution network to increase its visibility and readership among key professional audiences worldwide, further solidifying its reputation as a trusted source of quality journalism.
