CityNews

What CityNews does

Citynews S.p.A. is an Italian "glocal" digital news publisher operating a network of 56 hyperlocal news brands across Italy and Brussels, Belgium, producing over 45,000 news articles monthly and reaching approximately 31 million unique readers per month with 280-400 million monthly page views. The company was founded in 2010 and is led by founder and CEO Luca Lani, with its legal headquarters in Milan and administrative/operational headquarters in Rome; the broader workforce (employees plus freelancers) totals 400+ individuals spread across 21 Italian cities and Brussels. The portfolio spans flagship local brands such as MilanoToday, RomaToday, TorinoToday, and NapoliToday; the national brand Today.it with its entertainment vertical Vision; and specialized verticals including AgriFoodToday and EuropaToday, complemented by native iOS and Android applications offering geolocated news and user-generated submissions.

The underlying technology stack combines editorial publishing infrastructure with a proprietary advertising and data platform. Core capabilities include an Audience Intelligence platform processing 100+ billion first-party data points through proprietary algorithms to define behavioral segments and purchase clusters, Location Intelligence tooling that connects digital exposure to physical store visits using 2D polygon reconstruction, and a Footfall Analysis service certified by Adsquare that integrates weather, seasonality, and local trends. The company also operates Drive-to-Showroom ad formats with integrated GPS store locators and a self-service advertising platform at adsolution.it. Data and ad operations are supported by integrations with Google Analytics, Firebase, Flurry, Outbrain, Comscore, Blendee (via Omnicom), and Adsquare.

Citynews monetizes through five primary streams: (1) digital advertising across the 56-city network via display, video, sponsored articles, and job listings; (2) recurring subscriptions to local Today editions processed through PayPal; (3) outcome-based retail media and Drive-to-Store campaigns priced against measurable store visits; (4) first-party data monetization leveraging its 100B+ data points for precision targeting; and (5) transaction fees from the self-serve Adsolution platform. The go-to-market is hybrid: direct enterprise sales with dedicated account managers, inside-sales Direct Sales Account teams, a self-serve SMB platform, and a trained partner/reseller network across Italy. Stated annual revenue is €25 million, served by approximately 3,100 active advertising clients spanning local SMBs, national retail/FMCG brands, automotive dealers, and event organizers.

Name

CityNews

Legal name

Citynews S.p.A.

Website

https://citynews.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Citynews S.p.A. is an Italian digital news publisher operating 56 hyperlocal news brands across Italy and Belgium, serving 31 million monthly users with advertising, retail media, and first-party data monetization for SMB and enterprise advertisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Digital News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Media Representatives (541840)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJADAB

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

SECONDARYMPACAKAA

News & Current Affairs Aggregators

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Digital Content Aggregators & Discovery (Feed/Curated)

SECONDARYBPAMAAAI

News & Content Aggregation Portals

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Search, Discovery & Web Portals

SECONDARYBPAFACAL

Local & Location-Based Performance Advertising (Local Search/Maps, Geo-targeting)

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Digital Marketing & Performance Advertising (SEM, Social, Programmatic)

Keywords

• Digital news publishing
• Hyperlocal media network
• Digital advertising solutions
• Retail media platforms
• Audience intelligence data

Headquarters

HQ city

Roma

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising: Core revenue stream from selling digital advertising inventory across the network of 56 local news portals. Revenue generated through multiple formats: display banners (standard and interactive), sponsored articles, event cards, video content, and job listings. Advertisers can purchase on individual editions or across the national network.
2. Subscription (Abbonamento): Premium content access through paid subscriptions to local Today editions. Users can subscribe to specific local news publications with payment processed through secure payment gateway or PayPal. Subscription provides access to selected editorial content and full news articles.
3. Retail Media Solutions: Performance-oriented advertising solutions for retail brands including Drive-to-Store campaigns, footfall measurement, and audience activation. Revenue derived from measurable campaigns with pricing tied to store visits and conversion outcomes.
4. First-Party Data Monetization: Leveraging proprietary audience data from 31 million monthly users and 100+ billion first-party data points to offer targeted advertising segments and behavioral insights to brand advertisers seeking precise consumer targeting.
5. Self-Advertising Platform Commission: Platform fees from the autonomous advertising purchase system where advertisers create and manage their own campaigns, with pricing based on impressions, duration, and selected formats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CityNews operates a 'glocal' digital news publishing network of 56 local news brands across Italian cities and Belgium, producing real-time hyperlocal news content accessible via web and mobile apps. The company monetizes its audience primarily through digital advertising sold via direct enterprise sales and a self-service platform (Adsolution), supported by a proprietary Audience Intelligence platform processing 100+ billion first-party data points, certified footfall measurement via Adsquare, and proprietary Drive-to-Showroom ad formats. The company also generates revenue from premium news subscriptions and podcast content (Visioni).

Product overview

CityNews is a 'glocal' digital news publisher operating a platform of 56 local news brands across Italian cities plus Brussels, Belgium, delivering real-time local news with national reach. The portfolio includes flagship local brands (MilanoToday, RomaToday, TorinoToday), national brands (Today.it with Vision magazine for cinema/entertainment), specialized brands (AgriFoodToday, EuropaToday), and the new Visioni podcast. The company operates a digital advertising ecosystem comprising the self-service Adsolution platform for campaign management, proprietary Drive-to-Showroom ad formats with GPS routing, Audience Intelligence data platform (100B+ first-party data points), and Footfall Analysis service with third-party certification. The product architecture combines content (56 news brands + podcast), technology (mobile apps with geolocation), and advertising (self-service + managed service + data analytics).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AgrigentoNotizie: Local news for Agrigento province
• AnconaToday
• ArezzoNotizie
• AvellinoToday
• BariToday
• BolognaToday
• BresciaToday
• BruxellesToday
• FirenzeToday
• MilanoToday
• NapoliToday
• PalermoToday
• RomaToday
• TorinoToday
• Today
• VeneziaToday
• VeronaSera

Products and services

• CityNews Local News Network Network of 56 city-specific digital news brands (e.g. MilanoToday, RomaToday, BolognaToday) across Italian cities and Brussels publishing real-time local news, accessible via web and mobile apps with geolocated alerts and user content submission. Free to readers, the network is the editorial foundation that CityNews monetizes through advertising.
• Today.it National News and Vision Magazine National news, lifestyle and entertainment brand of CityNews covering national and international stories, lifestyle, and specialized content including the Vision magazine dedicated to cinema and streaming series review.
• Visioni Podcast Weekly audio podcast produced by Vision magazine on Today.it, hosted by film critic Alessio Zuccari, guiding audiences through cinema and streaming series releases. Published every Thursday at 12:00 on Today.it, Spotify and other major audio platforms.
• CityNews Mobile Applications Native iOS and Android applications for CityNews local editions that provide location-based alerts, geolocated news personalization, user-generated content submission and real-time push notifications. Available to consumers with social login (Google Sign-In, Apple Sign-In).
• Premium News Subscription (Abbonamento) Paid subscription offering for individual readers to access premium editorial content on selected local Today editions. Pricing varies by local edition; payment processed securely through the CityNews gateway or PayPal.
• Self-Service Advertising Platform (Adsolution) Self-service digital advertising platform enabling SMB and individual advertisers to independently select CityNews editions, set campaign dates and duration, customize creative formats, set budgets and monitor performance in real time through a live dashboard, without needing a sales contact.
• Managed Digital Advertising Solutions (Retail Media) Managed enterprise advertising offering spanning display banners, interactive formats, sponsored articles, event cards, video content and job listings across single editions or the full national network. Includes Retail Media Solutions with Drive-to-Store campaigns, Audience Intelligence activation, Footfall Analysis and outcome-based pricing tied to store visits and conversions. Sold via dedicated Account Manager Specialists, an inside sales team and a sales partner network.
• Audience Intelligence Platform Proprietary Audience Intelligence platform leveraging 100+ billion first-party data points from CityNews readers, using proprietary algorithms to define behavioral segments and purchase clusters, enabling advertisers to target campaigns with precision at scale.
• Footfall Analysis Location intelligence and footfall measurement service using 2D polygon reconstruction of points of sale, exposed vs non-exposed user comparison, and models integrating weather, seasonality and local trends. Delivered in partnership with Adsquare to certify that digital ad exposures drive measurable in-store visits, with demographic and distance-traveled analytics.

Quantifiable outcome

• +46.41% visitation uplift for retail campaigns (Todis case study with 4,096 incremental store visits)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Virtus GVM Roma 1960minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 February 2026RomaToday serves as official Media Partner for Virtus GVM Roma 1960, one of the historic basketball clubs in Rome. The partnership involves editorial coverage of the basketball season, club activities, and advertising campaigns through articles and dedicated content. Aimed at strengthening local sports coverage and community engagement.
• AdsquarecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Partnership with Adsquare for footfall measurement and analysis of physical store visits attributable to Citynews campaign exposures. The collaboration enables third-party certified measurement using 2D polygon reconstruction of retail locations, exposed vs non-exposed user comparison, and advanced models incorporating weather, seasonality, and local trends. Renewed for 2026.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Axel Springer: Large European digital media group operating news brands and classifieds; relevant peer as a multi-market digital publisher with diversified advertising and subscription revenue streams similar to Citynews.
• Il Sole 24 Ore: Italian financial/business daily with a digital subscription and advertising business; relevant peer as a digitally monetizing Italian news brand competing for the same advertiser and reader budgets as Citynews.
• Schibsted: Nordic media group running leading digital news brands across Scandinavia; comparable to Citynews in operating local digital news brands monetized through subscriptions and advertising.
• RCS MediaGroup: Italian media group publishing Corriere della Sera and Gazzetta dello Sport across print and digital; comparable to Citynews as a national Italian news publisher with local extensions and digital ad monetization.

Direct peers

• GEDI Gruppo Editoriale: Italian publishing group behind La Repubblica, La Stampa, and a network of local newspaper titles; directly comparable to Citynews as a multi-local Italian digital news publisher monetizing through advertising and subscriptions.
• Caltagirone Editore: Italian publisher of Il Messaggero, Il Mattino, and other regional/local dailies; competes with Citynews for local Italian news audiences and local advertising budgets with a similar city-based brand portfolio.
• Webedia: French digital media company operating vertical content brands monetized through advertising and branded content; comparable to Citynews as a multi-brand digital publisher leveraging audience data for advertiser targeting.

Regional players

• SoLocal Group: French local digital marketing and advertising services provider (PagesJaunes, Mappy); comparable to Citynews in serving SMB advertisers with localized digital marketing and audience-targeting solutions in a European market.
• Italiaonline: Major Italian digital portal operator (Virgilio, PagineGialle) offering local content, advertising, and SMB marketing services; comparable to Citynews in combining a local Italian audience with SMB digital advertising products.
• Prisa: Spanish-language media group (El País, Cadena SER) operating digital news and audio across Spain and Latin America; relevant comparable as a European digital-first news publisher with advertising-led monetization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/citynews
• Instagraminstagram.com/citynews
• TikToktiktok.com/@citynews
• Xx.com/CityNews_it

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CityNews