De Standaard
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1918
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
De Standaard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- De Standaard
- Legal name
- Mediahuis NV
- Website
- https://standaard.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1918
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
De Standaard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital News & Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audiobook Retail & Subscription Platforms (Direct-to-Consumer) (MPAJAIAD), Digital Archives, Libraries & Institutional Access Platforms (MPAJAMAJ)
Keywords
Where De Standaard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
De Standaard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Digital Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from multiple tiers (digi, basic, full, wknd, -26 youth formula). Subscribers pay monthly or annually for access to plus articles, podcasts, and premium content.
- Advertising: Display and digital advertising revenue from website and app traffic.
- Premium Add-ons: Additional subscription revenue from premium offerings including The New York Times partnership access (€90/year value) and RouteYou Plus (€42.99/year value).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Digi subscription - digital only access |
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic subscription - entry-level digital access |
| Subscription | Monthly | DS en français - French language edition |
| Subscription | Annual | RouteYou Plus premium access (included with subscription) |
| Subscription | Annual | The New York Times digital access (included with subscription) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
De Standaard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Standaard is a Flemish Dutch-language daily newspaper and digital news platform that publishes Belgian and international news, opinion, sports, culture, and economy content. It monetizes primarily through tiered digital subscriptions (digi, basic, full, wknd, -26 youth) sold across its website, mobile app, and e-paper, augmented by podcast and audiobook streaming, e-books, and cross-brand access to Mediahuis sister publications.
Product overview
De Standaard is a Belgian digital-first news organization offering a comprehensive news platform with subscription tiers (full, wknd, digi, and -26 for young readers). The core product is the De Standaard website and mobile app, supplemented by the DS Nieuws app for push notifications and audio content. Premium digital add-ons include the e-paper (Digitale Krant), audio platform (Luister) with original podcasts and audiobooks, e-books, and the daily evening newsletter (DS Avond). Additional editorial offerings include investigative journalism (DS Onderzoekt), opinion columns (De Mening), lifestyle guidance (De Helpdesk), and a French-language edition (De Standaard en Français). The Mediahuis-owned group provides cross-access to sister publications Nieuwsblad, Gazet van Antwerpen, Het Belang van Limburg, and De Gentenaar.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- De Standaard Digital News Platform Primary digital news platform providing Belgian and international news coverage across categories including politics, economy, sports, culture, and opinion, delivered via a metered paywall and tiered subscriptions.
- DS Nieuws Mobile App Mobile news application for iOS and Android enabling push notifications for breaking news and access to audio content including podcasts and listenable articles.
- Digitale Krant (E-Paper) Digital replica of the print newspaper format, allowing subscribers to read the daily paper edition online via tablet and desktop.
- Luister Audio Platform Audio platform offering original podcasts including news analysis, true crime series (Cocaïnekoorts), documentary series (De Iraanse Spion, Lacroix), and audiobooks for subscribers.
- E-Boeken Monthly selection of two new e-books provided as part of premium subscription benefits for De Standaard subscribers.
- Luisterboeken Audiobooks Monthly curated selection of audiobooks including thrillers, novels, and non-fiction, available for three months per title as a subscription benefit.
- DS Avond Evening Edition Daily evening digital newsletter and briefing summarizing the key stories of the day with video content and curated article summaries.
- De Standaard en Français Dedicated French-language digital edition translating and curating selected De Standaard articles for French-speaking Belgian readers, available as a cancellable monthly subscription.
- DS Voordeelshop Subscriber Benefits Shop Subscriber benefits shop offering cross-promotional deals and discounts on partner products and services to De Standaard subscribers.
- DS Onderzoekt Investigative Journalism Investigative journalism series and long-form reporting projects produced by the De Standaard editorial team, offering exclusive in-depth coverage.
Companies that use De Standaard
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
De Standaard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
De Standaard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The New York TimescoreDe Standaard partners with The New York Times to provide subscribers with full digital access to NYT content. This partnership, valued at €90 per year, is offered as a premium benefit with subscriptions, enhancing De Standaard's international journalism offering.
- RouteYoucoreDe Standaard provides subscribers with free access to RouteYou Plus (valued at €42.99/year), offering unlimited access to cycling and hiking routes. De Standaard also features curated routes in the newspaper and promotes RouteYou to its audience.
- Mediahuis Network (Nieuwsblad, GVA, HBVL, De Gentenaar)coreDe Standaard subscribers receive free access to plus articles and podcasts from four other Mediahuis news brands: Nieuwsblad, Gazet van Antwerpen, Het Belang van Limburg, and De Gentenaar, enabling cross-brand content consumption through a single Mediahuis account.
- AudiothequecoreAudiotheque is the production partner for the Weg van Nowak podcast series, a major production by De Standaard. The partnership includes support from o2o bicycle leasing, Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, and various sponsors (Baloise, A.S. Adventure, Elements, etc.).
- JobatminorJobat is a partner site featured on De Standaard, providing career and employment-related content. The partnership includes job market articles and career advice content integrated into the De Standaard platform.
- ZimmominorZimmo is an immoproperty partner site featured on De Standaard, offering real estate content and property valuation tips. Cross-promotional content including tips and sponsored articles.
- VRT (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep)minorDe Standaard co-commissioned the De Stemming public opinion survey along with VRT and RTBF, conducted by researchers from University of Antwerp and Université Libre de Bruxelles. This represents a media partnership for public interest journalism.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
De Standaard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- de Volkskrant: Leading Dutch quality daily owned by DPG Media. Comparable digital subscription model with bundled podcast and journalism offerings; serves the Netherlands rather than Belgium.
- NRC (NRC Handelsblad / NRC.next): Major Dutch quality daily from the Netherlands. Comparable in editorial positioning (in-depth analysis, opinion) and in operating a digital subscription model in a Dutch-language market, though serving a different national market.
Direct peers
- Le Soir: Belgium's leading French-language daily. Comparable quality newspaper with digital subscription model serving the same Belgian market on the French-language side, including political and cultural coverage.
- Het Laatste Nieuws: Belgium's largest circulation newspaper, published by DPG Media. Direct competitor in the Flemish daily news market with a more populist editorial positioning and the same multi-platform digital distribution model.
- L'Echo: Belgian French-language financial daily. Comparable as a paid-quality newspaper brand targeting serious news consumers in Belgium, with a similar digital subscription structure.
- De Tijd: Belgian Dutch-language financial daily also owned by Mediahuis. Directly comparable as a paid subscription news brand in the same Flemish market with similar digital subscription model and cross-brand access via the Mediahuis network.
- De Morgen: Belgian Dutch-language quality daily owned by DPG Media. Competes head-to-head with De Standaard for the same Flemish quality-news subscriber wallet with a similar digital subscription and podcast strategy.
- Het Nieuwsblad: Sister Mediahuis news brand bundled with De Standaard subscriptions. Comparable regional Flemish daily with overlapping subscriber base and shared parent company infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- Bloomberg Media: Global subscription-based digital news and business information brand. Comparable in operating a multi-tier digital subscription model with bundled content (news, audio, video) and in leveraging partnerships to enhance subscriber value.
Emerging players
- VRT NWS: Flemish public broadcaster's digital news platform. Competes for Flemish news attention with free, publicly funded content; directly comparable in audience (Dutch-speaking Belgians) but distinct in business model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
De Standaard social profiles
Digital presenceDe Standaard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
De Standaard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
De Standaard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
De Standaard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about De Standaard
What does De Standaard do?
De Standaard is a Flemish Dutch-language daily newspaper and digital news platform that publishes Belgian and international news, opinion, sports, culture, and economy content. It monetizes primarily through tiered digital subscriptions (digi, basic, full, wknd, -26 youth) sold across its website, mobile app, and e-paper, augmented by podcast and audiobook streaming, e-books, and cross-brand access to Mediahuis sister publications.
Is De Standaard a public or private company?
De Standaard is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was De Standaard founded?
De Standaard was founded in 1918. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is De Standaard based?
De Standaard is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does De Standaard make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising and premium Add-ons.
Who are De Standaard's main competitors?
Regional players on record are de Volkskrant and NRC (NRC Handelsblad / NRC.next). Direct peers are Le Soir, Het Laatste Nieuws, L'Echo, De Tijd, De Morgen and Het Nieuwsblad. Bloomberg Media is listed as a broad incumbent. VRT NWS is listed as an emerging player.
Does De Standaard have an API?
No public API is recorded for De Standaard.
What industry is De Standaard in?
De Standaard's product category is Digital News & Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAD, Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership), with a secondary code of MPAJAIAD, Audiobook Retail & Subscription Platforms (Direct-to-Consumer). Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.