Edinburgh Live

What Edinburgh Live does

Edinburgh Live is a digital-first regional news publication covering Edinburgh and the surrounding Lothians region, including West Lothian, East Lothian, Midlothian, and specific neighborhoods such as Leith, Gorgie, Corstorphine, Wester Hailes, Morningside, and Stockbridge. Founded in 2018 and operating with 11-50 employees, the platform delivers local news, crime reporting, traffic and travel updates, sport coverage of Hibernian (Hibs) and Heart of Midlothian (Hearts), and 'what's on' event listings to Edinburgh and Lothians residents, with secondary reach to Edinburgh-affiliated audiences including tourists and former residents. It is wholly owned and operated by Reach plc, a major UK media conglomerate, and shares technology, advertising, and editorial infrastructure across Reach's regional news portfolio.

The core product is the edinburghlive.co.uk website, built on a web-based digital publishing platform with RSS feed capabilities for content syndication. Supplementary products include an email Newsletter Subscription Service with a preference centre, a WhatsApp Community channel for mobile breaking-news delivery, a 'My Bookmarks' saved-article feature for registered users, and a premium subscription tier managed via Reach's chameleon-branding platform. Distribution extends across owned web and mobile web, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, and email.

Edinburgh Live operates a free, ad-supported business model with display advertising and sponsored content as the primary revenue stream, complemented by an emerging recurring premium subscription for enhanced content. Specific premium pricing tiers are not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is content-led and SEO-driven, with content marketing, social media, and WhatsApp community engagement used to grow and retain audience; Reach plc-level advertising networks provide monetization scale beyond what a standalone regional publisher could achieve.

Name

Edinburgh Live

Legal name

Edinburgh Live (a Reach plc subsidiary)

Website

https://edinburghlive.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Edinburgh Live is a Reach plc-owned digital news publisher covering Edinburgh and the Lothians with local news, sport (Hibs/Hearts), crime, traffic, and what's-on content distributed via website, social, WhatsApp, newsletter, and premium subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising: Display advertising on the website through banner ads and sponsored content placements
2. Subscription/Premium Content: Premium subscription model offering exclusive content, with 'Subscribe' and 'PREMIUM' options visible on the site

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Edinburgh Live is a regional digital news publication that produces and distributes original local journalism covering news, sport, lifestyle, and events across Edinburgh and the Lothians in Scotland. Content is published online for free, with an optional premium subscription offering enhanced access, and is supported by digital advertising. The site also offers a WhatsApp community, email newsletters, and RSS syndication for readers.

Product overview

Edinburgh Live is a regional digital news publication operated by Reach plc, providing comprehensive coverage of Edinburgh and the Lothians region. The core product is the news website delivering local news, sport (Hibs, Hearts football clubs), crime, traffic and travel, what's on events, and feature stories. The offering includes supplementary services: newsletter email subscriptions, RSS content syndication feeds, a WhatsApp community for mobile news alerts, and a My Bookmarks feature for saving articles. A premium subscription tier provides enhanced access to content. The platform operates as a free, ad-supported digital publication with registered user features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Edinburgh Live News Website

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Reach plccoreOthersEdinburgh Live is owned and operated by Reach plc, a major UK media company. The platform operates as part of Reach's network of regional news brands, utilizing shared technology, advertising networks, and editorial resources across the company's portfolio.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yorkshire Live: Reach plc digital regional brand for Yorkshire, operating the same content-led approach covering a multi-city regional audience with news, sport, and lifestyle verticals.
• Liverpool Echo: Reach plc's Liverpool regional brand, applying the same digital publishing model with deep local sport coverage (Liverpool FC, Everton FC) that mirrors Edinburgh Live's Hibs/Hearts franchise structure.
• Edinburgh Evening News: Historic Edinburgh newspaper, now operated by National World (formerly JPI Media). Directly competes with Edinburgh Live for the same Edinburgh and Lothians audience and digital advertising spend, with comparable sport coverage.
• The Scotsman: Long-established Scottish national newspaper also owned by National World, with strong Edinburgh editorial focus. Competes head-on with Edinburgh Live for Edinburgh readers, sport coverage, and advertising.
• Glasgow Live: Direct sister brand within Reach plc operating the identical digital regional news model for Glasgow. Same editorial structure, freemium model, multi-channel distribution, and parent-owned advertising network, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Wales Online: Reach plc's digital regional news outlet covering Wales under the same freemium, content-led model — directly comparable in monetization, distribution, and editorial scope.
• Birmingham Live: Reach plc digital regional news brand for Birmingham, operating the same content-led freemium model covering a major UK metropolitan audience with news, sport, and lifestyle verticals.
• Manchester Evening News: Reach plc's flagship regional title serving Greater Manchester, with the same digital-first model, neighborhood coverage, and sport-led audience engagement (Manchester United, Manchester City).

Broad incumbents

• BBC News - Scotland: Public broadcaster's Scottish news operation providing free, trusted local news across Scotland. Major incumbent competitor for Edinburgh audiences and advertising attention, though not commercially focused.
• STV News: Scottish commercial broadcaster (ITV franchise holder) with a substantial digital news site covering Scotland. Larger incumbent with broadcasting heritage, video capability, and free public-service remit that overlaps Edinburgh Live's local news offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EdinburghLive_
• Facebookfacebook.com/edinburghlivenews
• Instagraminstagram.com/edinburghlive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18909118

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Edinburgh Live