What The Star does

The Star is a regional newspaper and digital media company headquartered in Sheffield, United Kingdom, founded in 1887 and operating for over 135 years under the tagline "News you can trust since 1887". It serves readers across Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster and surrounding areas of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, covering local crime, politics, courts, weather, traffic, business, lifestyle, homes and gardens, and sport with an editorial focus on Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. The publication is privately held by Iconic Media Group Ltd, a diversified media group registered in England and Wales, and shares portfolio synergies with sub-brand Sheffield Telegraph.

The core product is thestar.co.uk, a digital news platform supported by an e-Paper mobile and web application that replicates the print edition, topic-based email newsletters, and a Puzzles Suite (Quick Crossword, Cryptic Crossword, Sudoku with pencil mode, and Wordwheel). The underlying technology is a digital publishing platform with content management, e-Paper delivery and newsletter infrastructure, with no proprietary AI or ML components documented. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer digital access with print circulation across the Sheffield region.

The business model is a multi-stream local media stack: recurring Digital Subscriptions granting unlimited website access and premium content; e-Paper access via app.thestar.co.uk; display, classified and affiliate advertising through the Connect Local network; recruitment advertising through a partnership with Jobs Today; legal and public notice publication; and family announcements (obituaries, celebrations) via celebrons.thestar.co.uk. Commercial expansion is reinforced by content syndication with National World. The company is regulated by IPSO as a member of the UK press self-regulator.

Name

The Star

Legal name

Iconic Media Group Ltd.

Website

https://thestar.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Star is a Sheffield-based regional newspaper and digital news platform, founded 1887, serving Sheffield and South Yorkshire with local news, sport, business, lifestyle and a digital subscription, e-Paper, puzzles, advertising and public notice offering under owner Iconic Media Group Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Regional newspaper
• Local news publishing
• Digital news subscription
• Sports journalism
• E-Paper publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Digital subscription model providing unlimited website access to premium content, including in-depth exclusive coverage, with fewer ads and loyalty rewards for subscribers.
2. e-Paper: Digital replica of the print newspaper available through app.thestar.co.uk
3. Advertising: Display advertising, digital advertising through connect-local.co.uk network, classified ads, and affiliate marketing partnerships
4. Job Listings: Partnership with Jobs Today (jobstoday.co.uk/sheffield) for recruitment advertising
5. Public Notices: Legal and public notice publication services
6. Family Announcements: Obituaries, celebrations, wedding announcements through celebrons.thestar.co.uk

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Star publishes a regional newspaper and digital news platform for Sheffield and South Yorkshire, delivering local news coverage spanning crime, politics, weather, traffic, business, lifestyle, and sport with a focus on Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday football clubs. Revenue is generated through digital subscriptions, e-Paper access, display and classified advertising, recruitment listings via Jobs Today, public notice placement, and family announcements such as obituaries and wedding notices.

Product overview

The Star operates as a regional newspaper and digital news platform for Sheffield and South Yorkshire. The core offering is The Star Online website delivering local news coverage. The product portfolio includes the Puzzles Suite with crosswords, Sudoku, and word games; e-Paper for digital replica editions; Email Newsletters for topic-based updates; and Digital Subscriptions providing premium access. The publication has been operating since 1887 and is owned by Iconic Media Group Ltd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sheffield Telegraph: A sister publication covering Sheffield news and features
• The Star e-Paper

Products and services

• The Star Online (thestar.co.uk) The Star's primary digital news platform offering regional news coverage for Sheffield and South Yorkshire, featuring breaking news, sport, business, lifestyle content, and community reporting. Targeted at local residents and regional readers.
• The Star e-Paper Digital replica of the printed newspaper edition accessible through a dedicated mobile and web application for subscribers. Targets print newspaper readers who prefer digital consumption.
• Email Newsletters
• Puzzles Suite
• Print Edition (The Star Newspaper) Physical newspaper distributed across Sheffield and South Yorkshire covering local news, sport, and community content. Targets traditional print readers and local retailers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered parent, core and minor.

• Iconic Media Group LtdparentOthersParent company of The Star. Registered in England & Wales - company number 11499982. The publication operates under the Iconic Media Group umbrella alongside other regional news outlets.
• Jobs TodaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecruitment advertising partnership providing job listing services for Sheffield at jobstoday.co.uk/sheffield. Drives recruitment advertising revenue for The Star.
• Connect LocalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal advertising network handling display ads, classifieds, and recruitment advertising for The Star and other regional publications. URLs include connect-local.co.uk with various campaign tracking parameters.
• IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Star is a member of Independent Press Standards Organisation, the regulatory body for UK newspapers and magazines, demonstrating commitment to journalism standards.
• Public Notice PortalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for public notice publication services at publicnoticeportal.uk/the-star for legal and public announcements.
• NationalWorld/National WorldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContent syndication and cross-promotion partnership. The Star publishes 'Latest from NationalWorld.com' sections featuring stories from the broader National World network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Liverpool Echo (Reach plc): Major UK regional title serving Merseyside with comprehensive local news, sport (Everton/Liverpool FC), and lifestyle coverage. Operates an analogous digital subscription, e-Paper, and advertising model to The Star.
• Yorkshire Post: Regional newspaper serving Yorkshire, including South Yorkshire overlapping with The Star's footprint. Comparable in business model (digital subscription, advertising, public notices) and audience (Northern England regional readers).
• Birmingham Mail (Reach plc): Regional newspaper for the West Midlands with strong local sport coverage (Aston Villa, Birmingham City) and a multi-channel digital product. Highly comparable operating model and revenue mix to The Star.
• Manchester Evening News (Reach plc): One of the UK's largest regional news brands, covering Greater Manchester. Directly comparable in offering (local news, sport, lifestyle, puzzles, digital subs, e-Paper) and target audience profile (Northern English urban readers).
• Stoke-on-Trent Sentinel: Regional newspaper for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire with digital subscription, e-Paper, and local sport coverage. Comparable in scale, audience profile, and revenue diversification to The Star.
• Hull Daily Mail: Regional newspaper for East Yorkshire/Hull with local news, sport (Hull City), and lifestyle content. Comparable in scale, audience profile, and product mix to The Star.
• National World: National and regional news publisher with content syndication ties to The Star (per partnership data). Operates a portfolio of regional titles with similar digital subscription and advertising model.
• Eastern Daily Press: Regional newspaper serving Norfolk with a long heritage and digital subscription offering. Comparable in legacy-to-digital transition strategy and community-anchored coverage.
• WalesOnline (Reach plc): Welsh regional news platform covering national and local Welsh news, sport, and lifestyle. Comparable in operating model, digital subscription product, and reliance on regional sport for audience engagement.

Regional players

• The Herald (Scotland): Scottish national/regional broadsheet with digital subscription, e-Paper, and advertising revenue. Comparable in product structure and legacy brand heritage, though serving a different UK geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sheffieldstar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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