What 1xl does

1XL is a London-headquartered digital media advertising business that operates as a commercial cooperative for 43 independent local and regional news publishers across the UK and Ireland, aggregating their inventory into a single sellable proposition of over 700 sites. As of June 2025 the network delivers a de-duplicated monthly reach of approximately 30.4 million unique users, representing over half of the UK adult online population. The company sells advertising access to this trusted local-journalism environment to national advertisers and their agencies, positioning brand-safety, viewability verification, and audience trust (81% of users reportedly trust advertising on 1XL sites per comScore's Genesis Project) as core selling points.

The technical foundation is a unified Data Management Platform (DMP) that aggregates first-party data across all publisher sites, supplemented by semantic contextual targeting, deterministic always-on survey panels (demographic, business, travel, retail, property), and purchase-intent data harvested from dedicated property and motor verticals embedded within news titles. These inputs feed 2,200+ pre-built audience segments and geo-demographic "mass localisation" planning tools that allow national campaigns to be executed against local geographies. Ad products span standard display (MPU, Leaderboard, Billboard), rich media, video, native/branded content produced by journalists, social post sponsorships across 600+ pages, and vertical channel takeovers.

The business monetizes almost exclusively through digital display advertising, sold via two channels: directly sold campaigns on an insertion-order basis with site-level delivery transparency, and programmatic buying through guaranteed-viewability private marketplaces on Rubicon (measured by IAS) and Google AdExchange (measured by ActiveView), plus non-guaranteed open-exchange inventory. Go-to-market is an enterprise field-sales motion run from offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Dublin; there is no self-serve platform and pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is private, for-profit, founded in 2014, and employs an estimated 51–100 people.

Name

1xl

Legal name

1XL

Website

https://1xl.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

1XL is a UK/Ireland digital advertising cooperative aggregating 43 local and regional news publishers into a 700+ site network reaching ~30 million monthly users, selling display, video, and programmatic inventory to national advertisers and agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Display Advertising

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Representatives (541840)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail Media Network (RMN) Planning & Buying (MPAAABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design (BPAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Digital display advertising
• Local news advertising
• Programmatic ad buying
• Audience data platform
• Contextual ad targeting

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Display Advertising: 1XL generates revenue through digital display advertising across its network of 43 local and regional news publishers. This includes standard formats (MPU, Leaderboard, Billboard), rich media, video, and native formats. Revenue is generated through both directly sold campaigns (via insertion order) and programmatic channels including private marketplaces.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

1XL is a digital media advertising network that aggregates the inventory of 43 local and regional news publishers operating over 700 sites across the UK and Ireland. It sells display, video, branded content, rich media, vertical sponsorships, and social media advertising to national advertisers and agencies through both direct insertion-order sales and programmatic guaranteed-viewability private marketplaces. A proprietary Data Management Platform (DMP) underpins audience targeting, contextual placement, purchase intent data, and mass localisation across the portfolio.

Product overview

1XL is a digital media display advertising platform comprising 43 local and regional news publishers with over 700 sites across the UK and Ireland. The core offering is the Premium Publishers Network providing access to a de-duplicated monthly reach of 30.4 million unique users. The platform provides various ad formats including Display (MPU, Leaderboard, Billboard), Social, Video, Branded Content, Vertical Sponsorships, and Rich Media. The product suite is supported by a proprietary Data Management Platform (DMP) enabling contextual targeting, audience panel data, purchase intent data, and geo-demographic localisation planning. Programmatic advertising is offered through guaranteed viewability private marketplaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1XL Premium Publishers Network

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of users trust advertising in 1XL sites vs other digital channels
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IAB EuropecoreTechnology or Integration1XL works closely with IAB Europe and participates in the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) for GDPR compliance. The company implements IAB Tech Lab's ads.txt initiative to prevent the selling of fake inventory by enabling publishers to list authorized sellers.
• IAB Tech LabcoreTechnology or Integration1XL implements the ads.txt initiative to prevent ad fraud and enable authorized inventory verification. This standard allows publishers to explicitly declare who is authorized to sell their digital advertising inventory.
• Integral Ad Science (IAS)coreTechnology or IntegrationIAS provides brand safety monitoring (excluding high-risk content), bot traffic monitoring (investigation if levels rise above 2%), and viewability measurement for directly sold campaigns. Rubicon guaranteed PMPs are measured by IAS.
• Coalition for Better AdscoreTechnology or Integration1XL has adopted the Better Ads Standards under the Coalition for Better Ads initiative, working with each publisher to ensure users have optimal ad experiences across devices.
• Digital Trading Standards Group (DTSG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner1XL is committed to the DTSG Brand Safety Principles and continually improves policies and processes to meet these industry standards for digital advertising.
• comScorecoreTechnology or IntegrationComScore provides audience measurement and verification for 1XL's inventory, including unique user reach data (30.4 million uniques in June 2025) and trust research (Genesis Project).
• Rubicon ProjectcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor1XL offers guaranteed viewability private marketplaces through Rubicon Project, measured by IAS for viewability verification.
• Google AdExchangecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor1XL offers programmatic buying through Google AdExchange with guaranteed viewability private marketplaces measured by ActiveView.
• Newsquest Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor publishing partner in 1XL cooperative. CEO Henry Faure Walker quoted as supporting the 1XL mission for local media.
• Iliffe MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey publishing partner in 1XL network. CEO Edward Iliffe cited as finding 1XL provides perfect balance for reaching local audiences whilst delivering national campaigns.
• Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)coreTechnology or IntegrationAll publishers in the 1XL network are regulated by IPSO, providing regulatory oversight and credibility for the advertising environment.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mediahuis Ireland: Irish newspaper publisher (Irish Independent, Belfast Telegraph) with its own direct and programmatic ad sales. An existing 1XL partner with overlapping audience and advertiser base, useful as a regional competitive benchmark.
• National World (formerly JPI Media): UK regional and local news publisher (Yorkshire Post, Scotsman, National World titles) operating its own digital advertising and subscription proposition. Comparable regional publisher-advertising model to 1XL's publisher-partner network.
• Local Planet: UK-focused media planning and buying agency specializing in regional and local advertising across news, radio, outdoor and digital. Comparable to 1XL in serving advertisers seeking local/regional reach and aggregated planning.
• The Ozone Project: UK-based premium publisher advertising network aggregating inventory from national news, lifestyle, and sport titles for programmatic and direct ad sales. Directly comparable to 1XL's network-of-publishers model serving UK advertisers and agencies.
• Mail Metro Media: Advertising sales house for DMGT's UK national and regional news titles (Mail on Sunday, Metro, i). Operates a similar news-led digital advertising proposition combining display, programmatic, and branded content for agencies and advertisers.
• ESI Media (Independent News & Media UK): Advertising business of Independent News & Media in the UK (Independent, Independent.ie), competing in the UK premium news digital advertising market. Comparable in serving agency and direct advertisers via aggregated news inventory.
• Reach Solutions: Advertising sales arm of Reach plc (Mirror, Express, Star, regional titles), running direct and programmatic campaigns across a large portfolio of UK national and regional news brands. Closely analogous to 1XL in targeting UK advertisers via aggregated news inventory.

Broad incumbents

• Bauer Media UK Advertising: Bauer Media UK's combined radio, magazine and digital advertising sales (Absolute Radio, heat, Grazia, etc.). A larger incumbent with overlapping advertiser relationships across mass-market UK audiences, though heavier in radio/print than 1XL's news focus.
• News UK Advertising: Advertising business of News UK (Times, Sun, TalkTV), selling display, video, and programmatic inventory across major UK national news brands. A larger incumbent with overlapping advertiser relationships but skewed toward national vs 1XL's regional focus.
• Guardian News & Media Advertising: Guardian Media Group's advertising sales team, operating direct, programmatic, and content-led campaigns across The Guardian and Observer. Adjacent incumbent with overlapping premium-news advertiser base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/weare1xl

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 1xl