Allied Press Limited

What Allied Press Limited does

Allied Press Limited, trading as Allied Media, is a privately held, family-controlled New Zealand media company formed in 1975, with operating roots extending to the Otago Daily Times, which began publication in 1861. It operates a South Island portfolio of 24 newspapers, including the Otago Daily Times and The Star, five magazines, two major events, digital news sites, mobile applications, and an e-edition platform. Its principal audiences are regional readers, newspaper subscribers, local and national advertisers, sponsors, and commercial customers seeking media, creative, printing, distribution, and retail services.

Allied Media's technology stack supports coordinated print and digital publishing. The July 23, 2026 ODT.co.nz relaunch introduced upgraded newsroom and advertising technology, field publishing capabilities, digital replicas of the Otago Daily Times, 03, and 23 community newspapers, updated ODT+ applications, and a unified subscription system. Payment processing is integrated through Windcave, while Nielsen and Google Analytics support audience measurement and campaign and readership analysis. The company also operates printing capacity and Mainland Distribution, which provides urban and rural letterbox coverage across much of the South Island.

The business earns revenue from print and digital advertising, managed performance marketing, recurring print and digital subscriptions, event sponsorship, commercial printing and creative services, distribution services, and retail merchandise and photo reprints. Advertising and managed campaign pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, while subscriptions are sold directly through print home-delivery and e-edition access. Sales are conducted through 14 local offices, a national and inside-sales function, online enquiry channels, and the ODT Store e-commerce platform.

Name

Allied Press Limited

Legal name

Allied Press Limited

Website

https://alliedpress.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1861

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Allied Press Limited, trading as Allied Media, is a family-controlled New Zealand media company serving South Island readers and advertisers through newspapers, magazines, digital platforms, events, commercial services, distribution, subscriptions, and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)

Keywords

• Regional newspaper publishing
• Digital news platforms
• Print advertising services
• Performance marketing campaigns
• Unaddressed mail distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Dunedin

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Advertising: Display and classified advertising in newspapers including Otago Daily Times, The Star Christchurch, and 20+ regional community titles across South Island. Also includes magazine advertising in publications like Rugby News, Kiwi Gardener, and others.
2. Digital Advertising: Online advertising including homepage takeovers, section takeovers, mobile pop-ups, interscrollers, banners, pre-roll video, sponsored content, and carousel ads across ODT.co.nz, StarNews.co.nz, and RuralLife.co.nz.
3. Performance Marketing Services: Managed digital campaigns including Google Search/Display, Meta, YouTube, programmatic advertising, and SEO services. Full-service support with planning, placement, management, and optimization.
4. Subscription Revenue: Paid subscriptions for Otago Daily Times, The Star, Greymouth Star, Hokitika Guardian, and other publications. Includes print and digital access options with home delivery.
5. Distribution Services: Mainland Distribution provides unaddressed mail delivery across South Island to letterboxes in urban and rural areas. Serves both Allied Media publications and third-party mailers.
6. Event Sponsorship: Events business includes Christchurch Home & Leisure Show and sponsorship of community events across South Island including marathons, markets, and music festivals.
7. Retail Sales: ODT Store retails books, gifts, puzzles, exclusive products like Otago Daily Times Monopoly, photo prints from archives, and merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Allied Media publishes 24 regional South Island newspapers (including flagship Otago Daily Times and The Star Christchurch), 5 magazines such as Rugby News, operates digital news platforms (ODT.co.nz, StarNews.co.nz, RuralLife.co.nz) and an e-edition replica service, and sells integrated advertising across print, digital and programmatic channels. The company also runs the Christchurch Home & Leisure Show, provides creative/video/production services (Allied Creative, Allied Productions), commercial printing (Allied Print), unaddressed mail distribution (Mainland Distribution) and a branded retail store (ODT Store).

Product overview

Allied Media is a multi-channel media company operating as New Zealand's largest independent media company. The portfolio consists of 24 newspapers (including flagship Otago Daily Times and The Star Christchurch), 5 magazines (including Rugby News and Kiwi Gardener), 2 major events, digital platforms (ODT.co.nz, StarNews.co.nz, RuralLife.co.nz), and an e-edition platform. The company offers integrated advertising services (print, digital, performance marketing), creative/production services (Allied Creative, Allied Productions, Allied Print), distribution (Mainland Distribution), and retail (ODT Store). The digital platforms were significantly upgraded in July 2026 with new website, mobile apps, and e-edition technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mainland Distribution: A division of Allied Press Limited specializing in the delivery of unaddressed mail across the South Island.
• ODT Store
• Allied Creative
• Allied Productions
• Allied Print

Products and services

• Otago Daily Times
• The Star (Christchurch)
• Mountain Scene
• Rugby News
• Community Newspapers Network
• ODT.co.nz
• StarNews.co.nz
• RuralLife.co.nz
• E-Edition Platform
• ODT+ Mobile Apps
• Allied Creative
• Allied Productions
• Allied Print
• Mainland Distribution
• ODT Store
• Digital Advertising
• Performance Marketing
• Print Advertising
• Events

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000+ people mobilised to protest Dunedin Hospital cuts through ODT's Our Health is Priceless campaign
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Farmlands Co-operativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFarmlands is a major agricultural co-operative and sponsor of the Rural Champions initiative, which celebrates South Island food and fibre producing champions. Partnership includes sponsorship of awards and events recognizing rural excellence.
• Silver Fern FarmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor red meat processing company and sponsor for Rural Champions events. Provided catering at Rural Champions celebration events in Otapiri, serving brisket, rib eye, lamb chops and more.
• Speight's BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpeight's Tavern provided beverages at Rural Champions events. Long-standing South Island brewery partnership for community event sponsorship.
• LandprominorGTM or Marketing PartnerRural services sponsor of the Rural Champions initiative supporting South Island agricultural community recognition.
• AgrisprayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgricultural spray solutions company and sponsor of Rural Champions initiative.
• Fred's FencingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRural fencing company and sponsor of Rural Champions community event.
• Highlanders Rugby FranchisecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProud partners for many years, marking 30 years of Highlanders rugby. Produced special commemorative 30 Years of Highlanders tabloid inserted in ODT. ODT's 30 Greatest Highlanders daily feature counting down best players.
• NielsencoreOthersNielsen proprietary measurement software enables market research and Digital Content Ratings. Nielsen readership surveys provide data on newspaper and magazine readership across Allied Media titles.
• WindcavecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor for online subscriptions through Allied Media's subscription portal. Windcave operates certified Visa AIS and MasterCard SDP (PCI DSS) compliant data centre with 3DES encryption and Hardware Security Modules.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Australian Community Media: Australian Community Media (ACM) operates a portfolio of regional and community newspapers across Australia, recently acquired by Anthony Catalano. ACM is the closest international comparable to Allied Media — a multi-title regional newspaper operator with similar scale, print heritage, and rural/community focus.
• Stuff Limited: Stuff (formerly Fairfax NZ) is New Zealand's largest digital news publisher, operating stuff.co.nz and a portfolio of regional newspapers across both islands. It is Allied Media's primary national competitor for South Island digital audiences and brand advertising budgets, with significantly larger digital reach but less regional depth.
• NZME Limited: NZME publishes the New Zealand Herald and operates a portfolio of regional newspapers, radio stations, and digital platforms across New Zealand. It is the largest direct competitor to Allied Media in NZ newspaper publishing, competing for both audiences and advertising dollars, though at national rather than regional scale.

Regional players

• Archant: Archant is a UK-based regional newspaper and media publisher operating over 50 local titles and digital platforms. Comparable to Allied Media as a regional newspaper consolidator, though geographically focused on the UK rather than New Zealand.

Broad incumbents

• Lee Enterprises: Lee Enterprises operates a portfolio of daily and weekly newspapers across the US Midwest and South, plus digital platforms. Comparable as a multi-title regional/community newspaper operator pursuing digital subscription and advertising growth, with similar challenges in transitioning print revenue to digital.
• MediaWorks New Zealand: MediaWorks operates New Zealand television (Three, Bravo) and radio (Newstalk ZB, The Hits) networks. As a broader NZ media incumbent, it competes with Allied Media for advertising budgets though not directly in print, making it a comparable for advertiser-side market dynamics and digital content monetization.
• Gannett Co., Inc. Gannett is the largest US newspaper publisher, operating USA TODAY and over 200 local daily titles. It is a broad incumbent in the same industry with a portfolio model similar to Allied Media's multi-title regional approach, providing a benchmark for digital transformation of community newspaper assets.
• Nine Entertainment (Australia): Nine Entertainment operates Australian television (Channel 9), digital news (nine.com.au), newspapers (Sydney Morning Herald, The Age via Nine Publishing), and streaming. Comparable as a broad Australian media incumbent with print heritage pivoting to digital, advertising, and content monetization — providing strategic context on multi-channel media strategy.
• News Corp Australia: News Corp Australia operates The Australian, Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph, and other major newspapers plus Foxtel and digital real estate platforms. It is a broad incumbent in the same industry — newspaper publishing with digital expansion — offering strategic context on how regional print assets can be repositioned at national scale.

Others

• Sky Network Television: Sky Network Television operates pay TV services across New Zealand. While not a direct newspaper competitor, Sky competes for advertising and subscription revenue in the broader NZ media market and represents an alternative channel for advertiser budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries13 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 Allied Press Limited