Melton Times
Melton Times is a local digital news publication serving Melton Mowbray and surrounding Leicestershire and Rutland areas since 1859. Owned by Iconic Media Group, it generates revenue through digital advertising, classifieds, family announcements, public notices, and an ad-lite subscription tier.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1859
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Melton Times does
Melton Times is a local digital news publication serving Melton Mowbray and the surrounding Leicestershire and Rutland areas of England, operating under a brand first established in 1859. The publication is owned and operated by Iconic Media Group Limited (company number 11499982), a private limited company registered in England and Wales with its registered office at 22 Princes Street, London. Its primary audience is local community readers seeking hyperlocal coverage of crime, politics, education, health, sport, lifestyle, traffic, and community events, while its paying customer base consists of local businesses, recruiters, and individuals purchasing classified advertising and announcements.
The publication's core product is the meltontimes.co.uk news website, built on a standard web publishing platform with cookie-based analytics and email newsletter delivery. The technology stack is conventional — no proprietary CMS, AI features, or developer-facing APIs are documented. Content is supplemented by an embedded video section, a daily email newsletter, and dedicated portals for family announcements, public notices, and job listings. Distribution is entirely digital and domestic (UK), with no mobile applications, international footprint, or API integrations identified.
Melton Times generates revenue through multiple streams: display advertising on the website, sponsored/branded content partnerships, paid family announcements (obituaries and celebrations), job listings, public and legal notices, and a recurring digital subscription tier offering an "ad-lite" experience with 70% fewer ads. The publication operates as part of Iconic Media Group's regional news portfolio and is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). No public funding rounds, venture capital, or private equity investment have been disclosed, and revenue figures are not publicly available.
Melton Times firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Melton Times
- Legal name
- Iconic Media Group Limited
- Website
- https://meltontimes.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1859
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Melton Times is a local digital news publication serving Melton Mowbray and surrounding Leicestershire and Rutland areas since 1859. Owned by Iconic Media Group, it generates revenue through digital advertising, classifieds, family announcements, public notices, and an ad-lite subscription tier.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Melton Times industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local News & Regional Journalism
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)
Keywords
Where Melton Times is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Melton Times business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Digital Advertising: Display advertising on website pages and sections. The site offers 'ad-lite' subscription model providing 70% fewer ads for subscribers.
- Subscriptions: Digital subscriptions providing ad-lite experience with reduced advertising exposure.
- Sponsored Content / Ad Features: Sponsored articles and branded content partnerships with external companies like SWNS Media Group.
- Family Announcements: Paid obituary and celebration announcements published through dedicated portal.
- Job Advertisements: Job listings advertising service for vacancies in the Melton area.
- Public Notices: Paid publication of public and legal notices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Ad-lite digital subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Melton Times product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Melton Times is a local digital news publication serving the Melton Mowbray and surrounding Leicestershire/Rutland communities, providing news, sport, crime, education, health, politics, lifestyle, and community event coverage since 1859. The platform distributes content primarily through its owned website (meltontimes.co.uk), supported by email newsletters, social media channels, and video content. In addition to editorial content, it sells classified advertising services including business advertisements, job listings, family announcements (obituaries and celebrations), and public notices, plus a paid ad-lite subscription tier offering 70% fewer ads.
Product overview
Melton Times is a local digital news platform operated by Iconic Media Group (National World), offering comprehensive community coverage for Melton Mowbray and surrounding Leicestershire areas since 1859. The core offering is the news website providing local news, sport, crime, education, health, politics, traffic, weather, lifestyle, and community content. Revenue is generated through advertising services (business ads, job postings, family announcements, public notices), newsletter subscriptions, and a premium ad-lite digital subscription tier. The platform also distributes video content through its watch section.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Melton Times News Website Local digital news platform providing news, sport, crime, education, health, politics, traffic and travel, weather, lifestyle, and community coverage for Melton Mowbray and surrounding Leicestershire/Rutland areas. Operated by Iconic Media Group (National World).
- Family Announcements Service Paid obituary and celebration announcement publishing service for families in the Melton Mowbray area, accessible through a dedicated announcements portal.
- Public Notices Publication Service Paid publication service for legal, statutory, and official public notices required by organisations and individuals in the Melton Mowbray area.
- Job Listings Advertising Paid job listing advertising service for employers recruiting in the Melton Mowbray area, delivered through a partnership with the JobsToday platform.
- Ad-Lite Digital Subscription Paid digital subscription tier providing subscribers with a reduced-advertising browsing experience (70% fewer ads) on the Melton Times website, compared to free ad-supported access.
- Daily Email Newsletter Daily email newsletter delivering curated local news, views, and updates from Melton Times to subscribers.
Companies that use Melton Times
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Melton Times technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Melton Times partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National World (Iconic Media Group)coreMelton Times is owned and operated by Iconic Media Group Limited (formerly National World). The parent company provides publishing infrastructure, advertising technology, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance including IPSO membership and Modern Slavery Act compliance.
- SWNS Media GroupminorContent partnership for sponsored articles and ad features. SWNS Media Group provides branded content that is published on the Melton Times website as 'Ad Features' under the 'Must Read' section.
- IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation)coreRegulatory membership organization for the press. Melton Times is a member of IPSO and adheres to its Editors' Code of Practice, providing readers with complaint resolution pathway.
- Connect LocalcoreAdvertising sales partner providing 'Advertise My Business', 'Place Announcement', 'Place A Public Notice', and 'Advertise A Job' services through connect-local.co.uk platform integrated into the Melton Times website.
- JobsTodayminorJob advertising platform partnership providing job listing services for the Melton area accessible through the Melton Times website.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Melton Times competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Yorkshire Post: Flagship regional title within the Iconic Media Group / National World portfolio. Larger and broader in scope than Melton Times but shares the same parent company infrastructure, ad tech stack, and subscription framework.
- The Scotsman: Another Iconic Media Group / National World title with a wider regional scope. Demonstrates the group's broader publishing model and shares back-end systems with Melton Times.
- Reach plc: Largest UK regional news publisher (Mirror, Express, Manchester Evening News, Birmingham Mail, etc.). Operates a portfolio of local and national titles with shared digital advertising and subscription infrastructure — a scaled analog to Iconic Media Group's portfolio approach.
Direct peers
- Hinckley Times: Local newspaper covering Hinckley and west Leicestershire within the same county footprint as Melton Times. Similar digital local news plus advertising and public notice services.
- Rutland & Stamford Mercury: Long-established local newspaper covering Rutland and Stamford — the same counties Melton Times covers. Closely comparable digital-first local news, classifieds, and family announcements offering.
- Loughborough Echo: Local newspaper serving Loughborough and north-west Leicestershire, geographically adjacent to Melton Mowbray. Comparable hyper-local digital news model targeting the same county's residents and advertisers.
- Warrington Guardian: Sibling title under National World / Iconic Media Group. Operates the same digital local news, ad-lite subscription, and classifieds playbook as Melton Times, sharing publishing infrastructure and ad tech.
- Bolton News: UK regional local news outlet operating a digital-first news, advertising, and subscription model analogous to Melton Times. Comparable in scale and target market (single town + surrounding area).
- Leicester Mercury: The dominant local news outlet in Leicestershire, covering the same county as Melton Times. Operates a digital-first local news model with subscriptions, display advertising, and classifieds, directly competing for the same audience and advertiser base.
Regional players
- Nottingham Post: Major local/regional title covering Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, geographically adjacent to Leicestershire. Comparable digital local news + subscriptions + classifieds model for a similar East Midlands audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Melton Times social profiles
Digital presenceMelton Times compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Melton Times financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Melton Times leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Melton Times funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Melton Times 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 Melton Times
What does Melton Times do?
Melton Times is a local digital news publication serving the Melton Mowbray and surrounding Leicestershire/Rutland communities, providing news, sport, crime, education, health, politics, lifestyle, and community event coverage since 1859. The platform distributes content primarily through its owned website (meltontimes.co.uk), supported by email newsletters, social media channels, and video content. In addition to editorial content, it sells classified advertising services including business advertisements, job listings, family announcements (obituaries and celebrations), and public notices, plus a paid ad-lite subscription tier offering 70% fewer ads.
Is Melton Times a public or private company?
Melton Times is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Melton Times founded?
Melton Times was founded in 1859. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Melton Times based?
Melton Times is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Melton Times make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Digital Advertising is the primary driver. The others are subscriptions, sponsored Content / Ad Features, family Announcements, job Advertisements and public Notices.
Who are Melton Times's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Yorkshire Post, The Scotsman and Reach plc. Direct peers are Hinckley Times, Rutland & Stamford Mercury, Loughborough Echo, Warrington Guardian, Bolton News and Leicester Mercury. Nottingham Post is listed as a regional player.
Does Melton Times have an API?
No public API is recorded for Melton Times.
What industry is Melton Times in?
Melton Times's product category is Local News & Regional Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABAHAK, News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 7310.