El Comercio

What El Comercio does

El Comercio, legally Empresa Editora El Comercio, is Peru's oldest continuously published newspaper, founded in 1839 and headquartered at Calle Paracas #532, Pueblo Libre, Lima. Operating as a privately held for-profit company within the Grupo El Comercio media conglomerate, it serves the Peruvian general public with comprehensive coverage of politics, economics, sports, culture, and international affairs, segmented for general consumers, government/policy professionals, business executives, and cultural enthusiasts. The publication has evolved from a traditional print newspaper into a multi-platform digital news ecosystem, distributing content through elcomercio.pe, native iOS and Android mobile applications, social media (Instagram, TikTok), email newsletters, video, podcasts, and a continuing print edition available via the Peruquiosco network. The company's product portfolio includes the core El Comercio.pe news platform, the Club El Comercio subscription service priced at S/12 per month with partner-brand benefits, the Merlín IA AI-powered question-answering assistant launched in 2026, ECData for data journalism, the El Dominical Sunday magazine, Luces and Somos lifestyle verticals, the Premios Luces and Premios Somos annual award events, and the Laboratorio de Periodismo Innovador in partnership with UPC university. The go-to-market is sales-led and digital-first, primarily self-serve via web and mobile, with subscription sales executed through direct online checkout and ancillary revenue from display advertising across digital properties and newsletters. The Editorial Director (Director Periodístico) is Juan Aurelio Arévalo Miró Quesada, and the publication participates in the Grupo de Diarios América (GDA) cross-Latin American newspaper syndication network.

Name

El Comercio

Legal name

Empresa Editora El Comercio

Website

https://elcomercio.pe

Company type

Private

Founded year

1839

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lima

HQ country

Peru

HQ region

Latin America

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. Subscription Revenue: Paid digital subscriptions through Club El Comercio, offering exclusive content, benefits, and ad-free reading experiences for subscribers at S/12 per month.
2. Advertising: Display advertising across the newspaper's digital properties including website, newsletters, and promotional placements.
3. Club El Commerce Membership Benefits: Subscription service offering exclusive subscriber benefits including promotional discounts with partner brands (Metro, UPC, Jockey Fest, Circo Místico), merchandise, and experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

El Comercio (Empresa Editora El Comercio) is Peru's oldest continuously published newspaper, founded in 1839. It operates a multi-platform digital news media business offering breaking news, investigative journalism, political analysis, sports coverage, cultural content, and multimedia storytelling through its website (elcomercio.pe), mobile applications, email newsletters, podcasts, and video channels. The company monetizes through paid digital subscriptions via Club El Comercio (S/12/month) and display advertising, with premium content gated behind paywalls and exclusive subscriber benefits.

Product overview

El Comercio operates as a multi-platform media company offering a comprehensive digital news ecosystem. The core product is El Comercio.pe, a digital news platform providing breaking news and investigative journalism across politics, economics, sports, entertainment, and culture. The company supplements its main platform with AI-powered features (Merlín IA), subscription services (Club El Comercio), data journalism (ECData), email newsletters, video and podcast content, and mobile applications. The company also produces branded magazine content (El Dominical, Luces), organizes award events (Premios Luces, Premios Somos), and maintains educational partnerships through its journalism laboratory with UPC. Print readers are served through the Edición impresa digital platform. The portfolio integrates free and subscription-based content with premium exclusive features for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Merlín IA: AI-powered news assistant and chatbot feature on the El Comercio platform
• Club El Comercio
• Premios Luces
• Premios Somos
• El Dominical
• ECData
• Nuevas Narrativas EC
• Corresponsales Escolares

Products and services

• El Comercio.pe The main digital news platform of El Comercio, providing breaking news, investigative journalism, political analysis, economic coverage, sports reporting, entertainment, and cultural content to Peruvian audiences via the web.
• Club El Comercio A paid membership/subscription program offering exclusive content, ad-free reading, promotional discounts with partner brands, merchandise, and subscriber experiences, priced at S/12 per month.
• Edición Impresa (Print Edition) The print edition of El Comercio newspaper available through the Peruquiosco distribution network and digital platform, serving readers who prefer the physical newspaper format.
• ECData A data journalism unit producing interactive visualizations, special reports, and data-driven investigative pieces on topics including politics, security, health, and elections.
• Newsletters Curated email newsletters including Buenos días, Desde la Redacción, Adelanto Revista Somos, and Día 1, delivering daily news summaries to subscribers.
• El Dominical The Sunday magazine supplement featuring long-form journalism, cultural commentary, interviews, philosophy, historical articles, and essays.
• Luces Culture and entertainment section covering books, art, fashion, cinema, and cultural events with news and reviews.
• El Comercio Videos Video news content including breaking news coverage, documentaries, interviews, and multimedia storytelling across multiple categories including science, sports, entertainment, and technology.
• El Comercio Podcast Audio podcast content featuring interviews, discussions, and news analysis available for streaming.
• El Comercio Mobile Apps Native mobile applications for iOS and Android providing optimized news reading experience and access to El Comercio content on smartphones and tablets.
• Merlín IA An AI-powered question-answering assistant that allows users to ask questions and receive intelligent text-based responses, integrated into the El Comercio website navigation.
• Colecciones El Comercio Digital collections and special edition products available for purchase through the Colecciones El Comercio platform.
• Premios Somos Annual gastronomic awards celebrating culinary excellence in Peruvian restaurants across various categories.
• Premios Luces Annual cultural awards recognizing excellence in arts, entertainment, literature, cinema, and music in Peru, voted on by readers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• Knight Center for Journalism in the AmericasnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026El Comercio participated as a panelist in a roundtable discussion organized by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas on March 26, 2026, examining how AI is transforming journalism in Latin America. The discussion addressed risks of AI adoption and best practices for newsrooms.
• UPC (Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEl Comercio partnered with UPC to launch the 'Laboratorio de Periodismo Innovador' (Innovative Journalism Laboratory), a collaborative initiative for journalism education and innovation. The partnership includes ECData investigations and student journalism programs.
• Grupo El ComerciocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEl Comercio is the flagship publication of Grupo El Comercio, Peru's largest media conglomerate, which includes other publications such as Gestión, Correo, Trome, and Depor. The group provides shared resources, distribution, and cross-promotional opportunities.
• Diario GestiónnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerEl Comercio co-organizes events with Diario Gestión, including business forums like 'Conectar para Vender'. Gestión is the economic newspaper of Grupo El Comercio.
• Grupo de Diarios América (GDA)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerEl Comercio is a member of the Grupo de Diarios América (GDA), a network of leading newspapers in the Americas, providing content syndication and collaborative opportunities across Latin American media.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• El País: Spanish-language global newspaper (Grupo PRISA) with a Latin American edition. Comparable as a major Spanish-language news brand pursuing digital subscription growth, though operating at much larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Clarín: Argentina's flagship newspaper and broader media group (Grupo Clarín). Comparable as a diversified legacy media company in Latin America with digital subscription, advertising, and event businesses — operating at larger scale.
• The New York Times: Global benchmark for newspaper-to-digital subscription transformation. Comparable in business model (subscription-led, multi-platform news, podcast, games) though operating at vastly larger scale and serving a global English-speaking audience.

Direct peers

• El Tiempo: Colombia's largest newspaper, part of Grupo Casa Editorial. Comparable as a legacy national news brand with digital subscription strategy (El Tiempo Suscriptores), multi-platform content, and similar competitive dynamics in a Spanish-speaking Latin American market.
• Diario Gestión: Peru's leading business and economics newspaper, also owned by Grupo El Comercio. Directly comparable as a sister publication with overlapping advertising sales force, similar digital subscription model, and shared audience of business professionals and executives in Peru.
• Folha de S.Paulo: Brazil's leading newspaper with a paid digital subscription model (Folha Digital). Closely comparable to El Comercio in terms of legacy brand, premium subscription pricing, and national news leadership in a Latin American market.
• El Universal: One of Mexico's largest newspapers, similarly positioned as an established national news brand transitioning from print to digital subscriptions and advertising. Comparable business model and audience profile in a similar Latin American market context.
• La República: Major Peruvian newspaper operating both print and digital editions with national news, politics, and economics coverage. Direct competitor to El Comercio for Peruvian readership, advertising budgets, and digital subscription share.
• RPP Noticias: Leading Peruvian news platform with strong radio and digital presence, competing with El Comercio for breaking news traffic, advertising, and political coverage audience in Peru.

Emerging players

• Infobae: Argentina-headquartered digital-native Spanish-language news platform with strong Latin American reach. Comparable as a competing Spanish-language digital news brand, though distributed primarily through social and search traffic rather than subscriptions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@elcomercio
• Facebookfacebook.com/elcomercio.pe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 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 El Comercio