LE PELERIN

What LE PELERIN does

Le Pèlerin is a French Catholic weekly news magazine founded in 1873 and currently operated as part of the Bayard media group. The publication is positioned as the leading French Christian current affairs weekly ('1er hebdomadaire chrétien d'actualité') and covers a broad editorial scope including French national news, world affairs, ecology, religions and spirituality, culture, heritage, and pilgrimages. It distributes content across print magazine (available at newsstands/kiosques), a digital website (lepelerin.com) with subscriber-exclusive articles, multiple themed email newsletters, podcasts, and multimedia galleries. The reader base comprises French-speaking Christian readers, pilgrims and walkers interested in pilgrimage routes, and regional readers seeking local heritage coverage.

The business model is multi-stream and consumer-facing. Recurring revenue is generated through annual magazine subscriptions (print and/or digital editions), supported by a dedicated subscriber portal (Espace abonnés). Single-copy revenue comes from newsstand sales, and additional streams include special collector editions (hors-séries) sold via the Bayard Librairie e-commerce platform, travel and pilgrimage packages offered through 'Nos voyages' in partnership with Bayard Voyages and La Croix travel services, and reader donations facilitated through the Presse et Pluralisme platform. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; subscription billing follows an annual cadence, and content gating ('article réservé aux abonnés') is used to convert free readers into paying subscribers.

Le Pèlerin operates with approximately 31 employees under the editorial leadership of Samuel Lieven (Directeur de la rédaction) and is headquartered in Paris as part of the Bayard group, which provides shared infrastructure including e-commerce, distribution, and digital platforms across its family of publications. No independent ownership, external investors, or venture capital involvement is evidenced in available sources.

Name

LE PELERIN

Legal name

Bvard

Website

https://pelerin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Pèlerin is a French Catholic weekly news magazine, founded in 1873 and published by Bayard, covering current affairs, spirituality, culture, and pilgrimages for French-speaking Christian readers via subscriptions, newsstand, digital, and travel services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious News Media Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG)

Keywords

• Weekly Christian magazine
• Faith-based journalism
• Catholic news publication
• Pilgrimage content
• French heritage media

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from readers subscribing to the weekly print and/or digital edition of Le Pèlerin magazine
2. Newsstand Sales: Single-copy sales of the weekly magazine at newsstands and kiosques across France
3. Donations: Charitable donations from readers and supporters, facilitated through the 'Presse et Pluralisme' platform to support press freedom and pluralism
4. Special Issues and Products: Sale of hors-série (special issues) and collector products such as the 'Notre-Dame de Paris: la splendeur retrouvée' collector album, as well as books and thematic publications
5. Travel Services: Travel and pilgrimage packages offered through the 'Nos voyages' section, partnering with external travel providers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Le Pèlerin is a French weekly Christian news magazine published by the Bayard group, providing current affairs, culture, heritage, religion, and pilgrimage coverage from a Catholic ethical perspective. It distributes content through print subscriptions, digital website access, email newsletters, special collector editions (hors-séries), and partnered pilgrimage travel packages, targeting French-speaking Christian audiences.

Product overview

Le Pèlerin is a weekly Christian news magazine published by the Bayard group, positioned as the leading French Catholic current affairs weekly (1er hebdomadaire chrétien d'actualité). The product portfolio consists of the core magazine (print and digital subscriptions), email newsletters (Le Pèlerin, Le Pèlerin Week-End, Informations), special collector hors-série editions covering topics like Notre-Dame restoration and nature wonders, and travel/pilgrimage packages. The offering is a single-brand media platform with subscription-based access to content across sections including France, Monde, Religions, Culture, Patrimoine, and Chemins et pèlerinages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Le Pèlerin Magazine Weekly Christian news magazine covering France, world news, religions, culture, heritage, and pilgrimage topics. Available in print at newsstands and via digital subscription for French-speaking Christian readers seeking a faith-based perspective on current affairs.
• Le Pèlerin Newsletters Email newsletter subscription services including the general Le Pèlerin newsletter, the Le Pèlerin Week-End weekend edition, and information bulletins for readers seeking regular updates on Christian news, culture, and spirituality topics.
• Hors-séries and Collector Editions Special collector editions and thematic publications sold via the Bayard Librairie e-commerce platform, including albums such as 'Notre-Dame de Paris: la splendeur retrouvée' and nature-themed books for readers interested in heritage and cultural topics.
• Nos Voyages (Pilgrimage Travel Packages) Travel and pilgrimage packages offered in partnership with Bayard Voyages for readers interested in spiritual journeys, walking trails (Chemins de Saint-Martin, Camino de Santiago), and religious heritage sites across France and internationally.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BayardflagshipTechnology or IntegrationBayard is the parent media group that owns and publishes Le Pèlerin. The group operates the Bayard Librairie e-commerce platform for magazine subscriptions and products. Bayard also owns other publications including La Croix, and operates shared infrastructure, distribution systems, and digital platforms used by Le Pèlerin.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Tablet: Long-established international Catholic weekly news magazine based in the UK. Comparable business model as a subscription-based religious newsweekly with digital edition covering Church news and culture.
• Catholic Herald: Catholic weekly news publication covering international Church affairs, culture, and current events. Similar subscription-driven religious weekly model with online edition and weekly print cadence.
• La Vie: French Christian-current-affairs magazine publishing both weekly and monthly editions with a similar mix of news, culture, and spirituality coverage. Comparable audience and editorial positioning to Le Pèlerin.
• La Croix: Sister daily Catholic news publication owned by Bayard, covering French current affairs from a Christian perspective. Closest direct peer as it shares the same parent, distribution, and faith-based editorial positioning targeting overlapping French Christian readership.
• Prions en Église: French Catholic liturgical prayer and devotional publication distributed to parishes and individual subscribers. Comparable faith-based periodical publishing model targeting the same French Catholic reader base.
• Famille Chrétienne: Leading French Catholic family weekly magazine competing for the same practicing-Catholic audience with news, faith, and family-life content. Direct competitor in the niche of French Catholic weekly publishing.
• Témoignage Chrétien: Historic French Christian weekly with a progressive Catholic editorial line covering society, politics, and faith. Competes with Le Pèlerin for engaged French Catholic readers seeking current-affairs coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Paris Match: Major French weekly news magazine covering current affairs, culture, and society in print and digital. Comparable as a French subscription-based newsweekly with national distribution at kiosques, though secular rather than faith-based.
• Christianity Today: Large US-based Christian media outlet with broader evangelical and ecumenical reach across multiple digital and print properties. Comparable faith-based current-affairs journalism model but at significantly larger scale and global footprint.

Others

• Bayard: Parent media group and publishing conglomerate that owns Le Pèlerin, La Croix, and other titles. Not a peer in a competitive sense but the structural parent providing shared distribution, e-commerce, and infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-pelerin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 LE PELERIN