What The Star Online does

The Star Online is the digital news arm of Star Media Group Berhad, a Malaysian public limited media conglomerate, and operates as Malaysia's first English-language news website, launched on June 23, 1995, alongside its parent newspaper The Star (established 1971). The platform publishes more than 300 stories daily across news, business (StarBiz), sports, metro, lifestyle, food, technology, education, opinion, ESG, ASEAN+, and a fact-check vertical (True or Not), supported by nine bureau offices across Malaysia and a network of full-time editors leading each section. Technology stack comprises the thestar.com.my web platform, mobile apps for iOS, Android and Huawei AppGallery, Amazon Cognito for authentication, iPay88 for payments, and personalisation features including For You recommendations, My Library bookmarks, Read Offline, News-in-Audio text-to-speech, Dark Mode, and customisable menus.

Name

The Star Online

Legal name

Star Media Group Berhad

Website

https://thestar.com.my

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Star Online is Malaysia's first English-language news website (launched June 23, 1995), operated by Star Media Group Berhad, serving Malaysian consumers and business professionals with daily news, business analysis, sports and lifestyle content via a freemium digital subscription model across web, mobile apps and print.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital News Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Content & Media Subscriptions (CRAFAIAA)

Keywords

• Digital news publishing
• Online newspaper platform
• News subscription service
• Digital media
• Business news portal

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuala Lumpur

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: The Star Digital Access provides unlimited access to all articles on TheStar.com.my and app for paid subscribers. Revenue is generated through monthly (RM13.90), annual (RM148), and promotional plans. StarBiz Premium and StarBiz Premium Plus offer additional paid membership for exclusive business content and access to Wall Street Journal and Business Times Singapore.
2. Advertising: The platform generates advertising revenue through display ads, branded content, and third-party advertising (including YouTube). Premium subscribers receive an ad-free experience while Standard/Freemium users see advertisements.
3. Print Newspaper Subscriptions: Physical newspaper delivery subscription available through Star Newsstand, separate from digital access
4. ePaper Subscriptions: Digital replica of The Star newspaper available as standalone subscription or bundled with other packages
5. Classified Advertising: StarSearch Online and Classifieds Booking Online service for placing classified advertisements in The Star newspaper, with categories including Properties, Auto, Jobs, Notices, and more
6. Events and Exhibitions: Organizes events including Star Education Fair, myStarJob Fair, Star Health Expo, Star Outstanding Business Awards, ESG Positive Impact Awards, and various property and lifestyle expos

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Star Online operates Malaysia's first news website (launched 23 June 1995) as a digital English-language news portal delivering over 300 stories daily across news, business, sports, metro, lifestyle, food, tech, education and opinion verticals. It sells digital subscriptions (The Star Digital Access, StarBiz Premium, StarBiz Premium Plus), a digital ePaper replica, and traditional print newspaper subscriptions, while generating advertising revenue from display ads, classifieds (StarSearch), branded content, events (education fairs, business awards, expos), and cross-promotion across a portfolio of subsidiary verticals (R.AGE, Kuali, StarProperty, Carsifu, mStar, Majoriti) under a shared MyStar single sign-on ecosystem.

Product overview

Star Media Group Berhad operates The Star Online as Malaysia's first news website (launched June 23, 1995) and the nation's leading English-language digital news portal. The core offering is supplemented by The Star Digital Access subscription service, providing unlimited ad-free access across web and mobile app with personalisation features including the For You recommendation engine, My Library, Read Offline, and News-in-Audio. StarPlus offers premium in-depth editorial content, while StarBiz Premium and StarBiz Premium Plus (bundled with Wall Street Journal and Business Times Singapore access) serve business readers. The company maintains a portfolio of subsidiary brands including R.AGE (youth), Kuali (food), StarProperty (real estate), Carsifu (automotive), mStar (Bahasa Malaysia), and Majoriti (Malay lifestyle), accessible via MyStar single sign-on. Newsletters, classifieds (StarSearch Online), video (StarTV), and ePaper digital replica complete the product ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StarBiz: Business section of The Star Online providing business news, market analysis, and financial insights
• StarBiz Premium
• StarPlus
• StarPicks
• StarMetro

Products and services

• The Star Online (news website) Malaysia's first and leading English-language digital news website, publishing over 300 stories daily across news, business, sports, metro, lifestyle, food, tech, education and opinion verticals for Malaysian readers, with regional bureau coverage across nine Malaysian cities.
• The Star Digital Access (Premium subscription) Paid digital subscription providing unlimited ad-free access to all content on thestar.com.my and The Star Malaysia app, including personalisation features (Bookmark, My Library, Read Offline, News-in-Audio, For You, Edit Menu) at RM 13.90/month or RM 148/year, with 7-day and 1-month free trials for new subscribers and student pricing.
• StarBiz Premium Paid membership tier offering exclusive insights, analyses and curated news on the economy plus expert advice from industry leaders on the StarBiz Premium section, at RM 15/month or RM 150/year, targeting business professionals and investors.
• StarBiz Premium Plus Premium business membership combining full StarBiz Premium access with full digital access to The Wall Street Journal and (for yearly subscribers) The Business Times Singapore, priced at RM 35/month or RM 350/year, providing international business and financial news for Malaysian business professionals.
• The Star Malaysia Mobile App Mobile application available on iOS (13.6+), Android and Huawei AppGallery delivering trusted news 24/7, with offline reading, News-in-Audio, personalised features, real-time alerts, dark mode, and text size adjustment; supports in-app subscription purchases.
• The Star ePaper Digital replica of The Star newspaper available on smartphone, tablet or PC as a standalone subscription or bundled with The Star Digital Access, offering the same print layout on screen.
• StarSearch Online (Classifieds) Online classified advertisement placement service for The Star newspaper, covering Properties, Auto, Jobs, Notices, General, and Business categories; payment accepted via credit card through iPay88.
• The Star email newsletters (Daily Alert, Evening Alert, Business & Finance, Health & Fitness) Curated email newsletters for The Star Online subscribers, including daily headlines alert, evening alert with next-day headlines, weekly business and finance roundup, and fortnightly health and fitness roundup.
• StarTV Video News Video content platform featuring news clips and dynamic videos from The Star, distributed via thestartv.com and integrated across The Star's web and mobile properties.
• StarPlus Premium Editorial Premium editorial section on thestar.com.my offering in-depth featured stories for deeper understanding and fresh insights, accessible as part of The Star Digital Access premium subscription.
• MyStar Account (SSO) Single sign-on account service enabling one set of credentials to access The Star, Kuali and Majoriti, with facilities for bookmarks, followed topics, subscription management and personalised settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Malaysia's most trusted English-language news portal - Reuters Institute recognition since 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wall Street JournalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2017StarBiz Premium Plus subscribers receive full digital access to The Wall Street Journal as part of their membership package. Monthly subscribers receive Wall Street Journal access with 1-year redemption validity per redemption. This partnership provides exclusive international business and financial news content to Malaysian readers.
• The Business Times SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2017StarBiz Premium Plus yearly subscribers receive full digital access to The Business Times Singapore. This partnership is limited to yearly membership holders only and provides access to Singapore's premier business news coverage.
• ReuterscoreTechnology or IntegrationReuters provides trusted news content to The Star Online. The platform is recognised as Malaysia's most trusted English-language news portal, in part due to Reuters content partnerships.
• KualiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKuali is a food content platform linked via Single Sign-On with MyStar account. Cross-promotional relationship with shared authentication system.
• MajoritiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajoriti is a political news platform linked via Single Sign-On with MyStar account. Cross-promotional relationship with shared authentication system.
• Google Play StorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distribution channel for The Star Malaysia Android app. Handles in-app purchases and subscription billing for Android users.
• Apple App StorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distribution channel for The Star Malaysia iOS app. Handles in-app purchases and subscription billing for iOS users on devices with iOS 13.6 and above.
• Huawei AppGalleryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlternative app distribution channel for Huawei device users to access The Star Malaysia app.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Straits Times: Established Malaysian English-language daily newspaper and digital site owned by Media Prima. Closely comparable to The Star Online in offering a print-plus-digital English news experience targeting Malaysian professionals and general readers.
• The Malaysian Reserve: English-language Malaysian business newspaper and digital platform. Direct peer in the Malaysian business-news subscription and advertising category, targeting professional readers overlapping with StarBiz Premium's audience.
• The Edge Malaysia: Malaysian business and financial news outlet with paid premium tiers (Edge Weekly print, digital subscriptions). Direct peer in monetising Malaysian business news audiences via subscriptions, advertising, and events — competing with StarBiz Premium.
• Free Malaysia Today: Malaysia-focused digital news publisher offering free English and Bahasa news. Direct peer competing with The Star Online for Malaysian digital news readership, primarily via ad-supported free content rather than paywalls.
• Malay Mail: Malaysian English-language digital news outlet covering politics, business, and lifestyle. Direct peer to The Star Online — both target English-literate Malaysian readers with freemium digital news plus a print legacy, competing for the same subscription and advertising pool.

Regional players

• South China Morning Post: Hong Kong-based English-language digital news publisher with a paywalled subscription product. Comparable in digital subscription, premium-content, and bundling approach targeting Asia-based English-reading professionals; serves a different geography but competes for the same premium subscriber pool.
• The Straits Times: Singapore-based English-language newspaper and digital news platform from SPH Media. Comparable in subscription, paywall, and premium-content model targeting English-literate Southeast Asian professionals; geographically adjacent rather than direct Malaysian competitor.

Others

• Reuters: Global news wire and digital publisher that already supplies content to The Star Online. Indirect peer — an established global news brand whose content The Star bundles and resells, and whose reputation reinforces The Star's "most trusted" positioning per Reuters Institute data.

Emerging players

• Tech in Asia: Asia-focused digital media platform covering technology, startups, and business news with freemium and event-driven revenue. Comparable as a digital-first news/community platform targeting Malaysian and Southeast Asian professionals; overlapping with The Star's tech and business verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg News: Global business and financial news publisher with a subscription-driven digital product. Broad incumbent offering overlapping business-news capabilities to Malaysian professionals; competes indirectly with StarBiz Premium for the same high-LTV segment via global brand strength.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/staronline
• YouTubethestartv.com/c/news
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheStarOnline
• Instagraminstagram.com/thestaronline

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Star Online