Southern Metropolis Daily 南方都市报

What Southern Metropolis Daily 南方都市报 does

Southern Metropolis Daily is a Guangzhou-headquartered urban newspaper founded in 1997 that operates under the state-affiliated Southern Media Group (南方报业传媒集团) and serves the Pearl River Delta region with concentrated focus on Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Over 25+ years it has transitioned from a traditional print newspaper into a diversified "first-class think tank media" organization, with a portfolio spanning eight product lines: original journalism reporting, new media distribution across Weibo/WeChat/Douyin, video and imaging production, think tank data research, visual design, offline events, and technical services. The flagship digital product is N Video (N视频), a short video platform launched in September 2020 and upgraded to version 2.0 in September 2021, built on microservices architecture with multi-terminal live streaming, 5G+IoT integration, and in-app mini-program interoperability with the sister Nanfang+ (南方+) platform.

The company generates revenue through four primary streams: newspaper subscription and sales, advertising services sold to corporate and government clients, think tank research products (400+ annually) sold to government agencies and enterprises covering digital economy, urban governance, and platform regulation, and event organization services including the annual Nandu Think Tank Week (南都智库周) held across multiple cities. Its technology stack includes AI-powered video production tools developed in partnership with Tencent through the N Video-Tencent AI Video Ecosystem Lab, as well as cross-platform content distribution systems and government affairs video infrastructure. Operational scale includes 20 million+ daily cross-platform communication reach, 500+ daily content pieces produced, 5 million+ cumulative N Video app downloads, 280,000 monthly active users, 1,500+ video creator accounts, and 300+ government accounts.

Southern Metropolis Daily serves three primary customer segments: general public readers in the Pearl River Delta (consumer subscriptions and digital content), government agencies at provincial and municipal levels (think tank research, policy consultation, and government affairs video hosting), and corporate advertisers (print, digital, and event-based advertising). The company has explicit strategic backing from the Guangdong Provincial Publicity Department, which positioned N Video as the "video version of Guangdong releases," and was recognized in the 2021 China 500 Most Valuable Brands at #154 with a brand value of 515.39 billion yuan. The company won the first prize at the 31st China Journalism Award in 2021 for its pandemic-era "Most Beautiful Heroes" cross-media reporting series.

Name

Southern Metropolis Daily 南方都市报

Legal name

广东南都全媒体网络科技有限公司

Website

https://nandu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Southern Metropolis Daily is a Guangzhou-headquartered urban newspaper founded in 1997, operating under state-affiliated Southern Media Group. It delivers journalism, the N Video short video platform, think tank research, and advertising services to Pearl River Delta readers, government agencies, and corporate advertisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA), News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO), Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Newspaper publishing
• Digital news media
• Short video platform
• Think tank research
• Urban governance reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Guangzhou

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Newspaper Subscription and Sales: Traditional print newspaper distribution and digital subscription services for the Southern Metropolis Daily publication.
2. Advertising Services: Advertising space and promotional services offered to corporate and government clients across print, digital, and event platforms.
3. Think Tank Research Products: Customized research reports, data analysis products, and consultation services sold to government agencies and enterprises, including urban governance reports, enterprise responsibility surveys, and policy research.
4. Event Organization Services: Hosting of events such as 南都智库周, industry forums, and award ceremonies that generate revenue through sponsorships and participation fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Southern Metropolis Daily (南方都市报) is an urban newspaper and digital media organization founded in 1997 that publishes daily news content across print and digital platforms. It operates the N Video short video platform positioned as the 'video version of Guangdong releases' and produces data-driven think tank research reports on urban governance, digital economy, and platform regulation. Revenue is generated through newspaper subscriptions, digital advertising, think tank research sales to government and enterprise clients, and event sponsorships across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Product overview

Southern Metropolis Daily operates as a comprehensive media conglomerate offering both traditional and digital products. The core portfolio consists of: (1) N视频 - the flagship short video platform (video版广东发布) for Bay Area content with 500万+ downloads; (2) 原创报道 - traditional news reporting; (3) 新媒体 - cross-platform new media services; (4) 视频影像 - video production; (5) 智库数据 - data-driven think tank products (400+ annually, 515.39 billion RMB brand value); supplemented by (6) 视觉设计, (7) 线下活动, and (8) 技术服务. The company has transformed from a traditional newspaper into a 'first-class think tank media' (一流智库媒体), with 2000w+ daily reach and 500+ daily content production across text, images, audio and video.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• N视频 (N Video): Short video platform and video news client launched under the guidance of Guangdong Provincial Propaganda Department, positioned as 'video version of Guangdong release'. As of September 2021, cumulative downloads exceeded 5 million with over 280,000 monthly active users.

Products and services

• N Video (N视频) A short video platform and client application positioned as 'Video Version of Guangdong Release', providing video content targeting young users in South China. Features include video uploads, live streaming, government account services, and creator ecosystem with 1,500+ video accounts registered, 5M+ cumulative downloads, and 280,000+ monthly active users.
• Original Reporting (原创报道) Traditional news reporting services including investigative journalism, breaking news coverage, and feature stories. Won the 1st Prize at the 31st China Journalism Award 2021 for the 'Most Beautiful Counterattack Heroes' (最美逆行者) multimedia reporting series on COVID-19 frontline workers.
• New Media (新媒体) New media content services spanning multiple digital platforms including Weibo, WeChat public accounts, Douyin, and other social media channels as part of the integrated media matrix covering Guangdong and the Greater Bay Area.
• Video and Imaging (视频影像) Video production and visual content services including documentaries, short videos, live event coverage, and professional photography. Key projects include the 'Beautiful Bay Area, Seeing the Future' (大美湾区 瞭见未来) short video competition.
• Think Tank Data (智库数据) Data-driven think tank products including research reports, data analytics, rankings, and policy recommendations. Publishes 400+ think tank products annually across digital economy, urban governance, personal information protection, platform economy anti-monopoly, and public health sectors. Sold to government agencies and enterprise clients.
• Offline Events (线下活动) Offline event services including the annual Southern Metropolis Daily Think Tank Week (南都智库周), industry forums, ranking announcements, and city governance seminars held across multiple cities. Revenue generated through sponsorships and participation fees.
• Woodpecker Data Governance Forum (啄木鸟数据治理论坛) Annual forum focused on internet public ecosystem issues including personal information protection, platform competition regulation, and facial recognition applications. Held for five consecutive years.
• Southern Metropolis Daily Think Tank Week (南都智库周)

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 million+ daily communication reach across all platforms
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• 深圳市委网信办 (Shenzhen Municipal Cyberspace Affairs Office)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2021Joint '圳少年' series of integrated media reports and government official accounts collective入驻N视频. Partnership for public opinion guidance and government communication.
• 中国语言资源保护工程 (Chinese Language Resources Protection Project)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2021Academic experts from Guangdong universities participating in the national language resources protection project collaborated with N视频 on dialect preservation research.
• 广东省委宣传部 (Guangdong Provincial Publicity Department)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2021Guangdong Provincial Publicity Department provided guidance and support for N视频 platform development, positioning it as a key video platform under provincial government direction. This partnership established N视频 as the 'video version of Guangdong government releases'.
• 南方报业传媒集团 (Southern Media Group)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2021Parent company that owns and operates Southern Metropolis Daily. Southern Media Group provided strategic direction and resources for N视频 development as a group-level priority product. N视频 is positioned as a group-level short video strategic product.
• 腾讯 (Tencent)coreTechnology or Integration · 23 September 2021Established N视频-腾讯AI视频生态实验室 (AI Video Ecosystem Lab) for video production, safety review, virtual anchors, and AI-powered video editing. Partnership focuses on integrating Tencent's AI capabilities into the N视频 platform.
• 微信视频号 (WeChat Video)coreTechnology or Integration · 23 September 2021Joint '大美湾区 瞰见未来' (Beautiful Bay Area, See the Future) short video competition launched with WeChat Video accounts for content creators. WeChat Video serves as an integration channel for N视频 ecosystem.
• 广东省摄影家协会 (Guangdong Photographers Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 September 2021Co-organized '大美湾区 瞰见未来' short video competition to leverage photographer and video creator community for Greater Bay Area cultural content.
• 广东省县级融媒体中心 (Guangdong County-level Converged Media Centers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 September 2021Launched Guangdong County-level Converged Media Video Service Platform on N视频, providing channel building, resource sharing, think tank support, and training services to assist county-level media centers in forming a comprehensive video communication matrix.
• 南方+ (Nanfang Plus)coreTechnology or Integration · 23 September 2021Technical integration enabling Nanfang Plus's图文 content to be displayed within N视频 App, achieving content interoperability and mutual benefit between the two platforms.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Beijing News (新京报): A major Beijing-based metropolitan newspaper that has undertaken a similar transformation to digital media and short video content. As a comparable urban newspaper navigating the same secular print-to-digital shift, it represents a strong regional-to-national expansion comparison case.
• The Paper (澎湃新闻): A leading digital-first news outlet operated by Shanghai United Media Group that has pioneered mobile news and think tank-style reporting in China. It represents the leading example of a Chinese newspaper's successful digital transformation, comparable to Southern Metropolis Daily's N Video and think tank strategy.
• 21st Century Business Herald (21世纪经济报道): A major Chinese business newspaper focused on economic and business journalism that produces regular research reports and rankings. It competes with Southern Metropolis Daily for advertising revenue, enterprise research clients, and award-winning journalism recognition.
• Caixin Media (财新传媒): A leading Chinese investigative journalism and economic research outlet known for premium think tank reports and high-quality original reporting. Caixin competes with Southern Metropolis Daily in the journalism awards landscape, premium content production, and enterprise research products.
• Yangcheng Evening News (羊城晚报): A major Guangzhou-based evening newspaper that competes directly with Southern Metropolis Daily for readers, advertisers, and government communications contracts in the Pearl River Delta region. It shares the same regional newspaper DNA and government-affiliated media group structure.
• Southern Weekly (南方周末): A sister publication under the same Southern Media Group parent that focuses on investigative journalism and in-depth reporting. While covering different content niches, it shares the same government-affiliated media group structure, regional coverage, and transformation journey from print to digital.
• Yicai (第一财经 / China Business Network): A major Chinese business journalism and think tank media outlet that produces research reports and data products for government and enterprise clients. Yicai competes with Southern Metropolis Daily's think tank business in the B2B/B2G research and policy analysis market.
• Shenzhen Special Zone Daily (深圳特区报): The official newspaper of Shenzhen that competes directly with Southern Metropolis Daily in the Shenzhen market. As another major Pearl River Delta newspaper covering overlapping government affairs, advertising, and reader segments, it serves as a primary geographic competitor.
• Guangzhou Daily (广州日报): The flagship newspaper of Guangzhou and Southern China's largest metropolitan newspaper. Guangzhou Daily directly competes with Southern Metropolis Daily in the Guangzhou market and has undergone similar digital transformation, making it the most direct comparable in the same regional newspaper category.

Emerging players

• Jiemian News (界面新闻): A digital-first Chinese business news platform focused on serving younger professional audiences. While newer and more narrowly focused on business content, it competes with Southern Metropolis Daily's new media and N Video platform for digital advertising and younger reader segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-metropolis-daily

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Southern Metropolis Daily 南方都市报