El Mundo Today
El Mundo Today is a Spanish-language satirical digital news publication based in Barcelona, serving Spanish-speaking readers with humorously fictional coverage of politics, society, and culture. It operates a freemium model with a €36/year annual subscription and supplementary brand content services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1876
- HeadquartersBarcelona, Spain
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What El Mundo Today does
El Mundo Today is a Spanish-language satirical digital news publication that publishes fictional and humorous articles covering Spanish and international politics, society, culture, technology, and entertainment. Founded as a digital-only outlet in 2009 and directed by Xavi Puig Ripoll and Kike García de la Riva, the publication operates from Barcelona, Spain, under the legal entity EL MUNDO TODAY CB (a comunidad de bienes partnership, CIF: E86794591). The website is freely accessible with a metered/limited free tier and offers an annual subscription at €36/year providing access to exclusive content including the award-winning podcast La Palestra Candente (Premio Berlanga 2024), curated newsletters (La Semana en El Mundo Today, La Newsletter de Pilar de Francisco), and subscriber community benefits. The publication claims a satirical founding date of 1876 by Ildefonso Ripoll García, though its digital operation dates to 2009.
The technology stack is built on WordPress with PHP backend, augmented by integrations with Stripe and PayPal for subscription billing, Mailchimp for email newsletters, Google Analytics for web analytics, CloudFlare for CDN/security, and Facebook Pixel and Google DoubleClick for advertising. Distribution is entirely digital, leveraging organic social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, and WhatsApp. Sub-brands include OKToday (a satirical section), La Palestra Candente (podcast), and Tienda (merchandise store).
The business model combines consumer subscription revenue (€36/year annual plans) with brand content and sponsorship services (fabrication of sponsored news and full campaign conceptualization). The publication notably excludes programmatic display advertising since launching its subscription service, while excluding certain advertising categories (gambling, prostitution, etc.). Revenue is denominated in euros and no specific figures are publicly disclosed. The publication has received multiple industry awards including Premios Bitácoras (2010, 2011), Premios INTRAS (2015), Premio Blasillo de Huesca (2016), Premio Gràffica (2020), Premio Berlanga (2024), and Premio EMHU Wenceslao Fernández Flórez (2026).
El Mundo Today firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- El Mundo Today
- Legal name
- EL MUNDO TODAY CB
- Website
- https://elmundotoday.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1876
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- El Mundo Today is a Spanish-language satirical digital news publication based in Barcelona, serving Spanish-speaking readers with humorously fictional coverage of politics, society, and culture. It operates a freemium model with a €36/year annual subscription and supplementary brand content services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
El Mundo Today industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Satirical Digital News Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA)
Keywords
Where El Mundo Today is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Barcelona
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
El Mundo Today business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: Annual subscription at 36 euros per year providing full access to premium content, exclusive newsletters (La Palestra Candente, La Semana, Pilar de Francisco), community access, and exclusive discounts
- Brand Content and Sponsorships: Fabrication of sponsored news and sections, and conceptualization of content for entire campaigns. No programmatic advertising since launching subscription service. Excludes certain categories (gambling, prostitution, etc.)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription at 36 euros per year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
El Mundo Today product offering
Product offeringCore offering
El Mundo Today is a Spanish-language satirical digital news publication that publishes fictional, humor-based news articles about current events, politics, society, culture, technology, and entertainment. It operates as a free-to-access website with an optional annual paid subscription (36 EUR/year) unlocking premium newsletters, podcasts, and exclusive subscriber benefits. Additional revenue is generated through branded content and merchandise sales.
Product overview
El Mundo Today is a Spanish satirical digital news publication operating as a free-to-access website with an optional annual subscription tier (36 EUR/year). The core product is the news website itself, featuring humorously fictional coverage of current events across sections including Internacional, España, Sociedad, Ciencia y Tecnología, Cultura, Gente, Deportes, OKToday, Vídeos, and Podcasts. The subscription unlocks exclusive content including the podcast La Palestra Candente (awarded Premio Berlanga 2024), curated newsletters, and subscriber-only features. Additional offerings include a merchandise store and branded content services for advertisers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OKToday: A section/subsection of El Mundo Today featuring satirical content
Products and services
- El Mundo Today Website
Companies that use El Mundo Today
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
El Mundo Today technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature1 record
El Mundo Today partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Amnesty InternationalminorCollaboration on human rights content coverage; El Mundo Today publishes content in collaboration with Amnesty International and links to their website
- idealistaminorReal estate partnership for housing-related content; El Mundo Today publishes housing news in collaboration with idealista
- Somos ConexiónminorFeatured in El Mundo Today content; promotional collaboration through social media and micro-influencer campaigns
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
El Mundo Today competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- El Jueves: Spain's leading satirical magazine, with strong political and social humor. Directly comparable as a Spain-based satirical publication covering Spanish politics and culture for a Spanish-speaking audience.
- PlayGround Magazine: Spanish digital magazine blending culture, society, and entertainment commentary. Comparable as a Spain-based digital-native publication targeting Spanish-speaking millennials with editorial-led content.
- The Onion: Iconic American satirical news publication operating a digital-first model. Directly comparable as a digitally-native satirical news brand with a similar editorial voice and audience proposition.
- Mongolia Revista: Spanish satirical monthly magazine with strong digital presence and political satire. Directly comparable as another Spanish satirical publication competing for the same political-humor audience.
- Babylon Bee: American satirical news site that has scaled a subscription and community model around conservative-leaning political humor. Comparable as a digitally-native satirical brand that has built subscription revenue on a niche audience.
Emerging players
- The Hard Times: Satirical digital publication parodying music and broader culture. Comparable as a digitally-native satirical outlet with a niche editorial voice and recurring publishing cadence.
- Redacted Tonight: Satirical political news and video program with digital distribution. Comparable as a digitally-distributed satirical outlet with video/podcast format, though smaller and English-language.
Broad incumbents
- infoLibre: Spanish digital news outlet with subscription-supported journalism. Comparable as a Spain-based subscription-supported digital publication, but focused on serious news rather than satirical content.
- El Diario.es: One of Spain's largest digital-native news outlets with a subscription model. Broader incumbent in Spanish digital news with overlapping audience and subscription mechanism, but focused on serious journalism rather than satire.
- Vice Media: Global digital media company known for youth-oriented news, culture, and commentary content. Comparable as a digitally-native publisher covering politics, culture, and society, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
El Mundo Today social profiles
Digital presenceEl Mundo Today financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
El Mundo Today leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
El Mundo Today funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
El Mundo Today M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about El Mundo Today
What does El Mundo Today do?
El Mundo Today is a Spanish-language satirical digital news publication that publishes fictional, humor-based news articles about current events, politics, society, culture, technology, and entertainment. It operates as a free-to-access website with an optional annual paid subscription (36 EUR/year) unlocking premium newsletters, podcasts, and exclusive subscriber benefits. Additional revenue is generated through branded content and merchandise sales.
Is El Mundo Today a public or private company?
El Mundo Today is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was El Mundo Today founded?
El Mundo Today was founded in 1876. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is El Mundo Today based?
El Mundo Today is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does El Mundo Today make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are brand Content and Sponsorships.
Who are El Mundo Today's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are El Jueves, PlayGround Magazine, The Onion, Mongolia Revista and Babylon Bee. Emerging players are The Hard Times and Redacted Tonight. Broad incumbents are infoLibre, El Diario.es and Vice Media.
Does El Mundo Today have an API?
No public API is recorded for El Mundo Today.
What industry is El Mundo Today in?
El Mundo Today's product category is Satirical Digital News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAO, News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJADAA, National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.