What The Saturday Paper does

The Saturday Paper is an Australian independent weekly newspaper founded in 2014 and published by Schwartz Media, headquartered in Carlton, Australia. The publication produces 50 editions per year covering in-depth political reporting, investigative journalism, cultural criticism, and long-form feature writing across sections including news, comment, culture, life, food, puzzles, and sport. It serves educated Australian readers who consume long-form current affairs content, distributed via direct digital subscriptions, Australian newsagency retail, and corporate bulk orders. The brand has accumulated a 10+ year editorial archive and credibility as a respected voice in Australian independent media.

The Saturday Paper operates a subscription-based business model with multiple pricing tiers: digital at $14.50 per month or $119 per year, print plus digital at $119 per six months or $224 per year, and a bundle with sister publication The Monthly at $159 per year. The company also offers gift subscriptions and corporate subscriptions as alternative revenue channels. Content distribution spans a self-service digital portal (thesaturdaypaper.com.au), email newsletters, and organic social channels including Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and Bluesky. Engagement verticals The Cryptic (crossword), The Quiz, and The Week extend the product between weekly editions, while the "Post" section provides breaking-news coverage between cycles. Marketing is conducted primarily through the website, email, and social channels with no disclosed paid acquisition spend.

The underlying technology infrastructure is described as a standard web publishing platform with a digital content delivery system. No proprietary technology, mobile applications, API integrations, AI capabilities, or differentiated platform architecture is identified. The publication is privately held under Schwartz Media, which also publishes The Monthly and Australian Foreign Affairs; no external investors, funding rounds, or public listing are disclosed.

Name

The Saturday Paper

Legal name

The Saturday Paper

Website

https://thesaturdaypaper.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Saturday Paper is an Australian independent weekly newspaper published 50 times per year by Schwartz Media. It serves educated Australian readers with long-form political, investigative, and cultural journalism, monetized through consumer subscriptions across digital, print, and bundle tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Weekly Newspaper

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Independent journalism
• Weekly newspaper
• Digital subscriptions
• Investigative reporting
• News commentary

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlton

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Annual, six-month, and monthly digital subscription tiers providing full digital access to all content including articles, archives, and newsletters.
2. Print Subscriptions: Print and digital bundle subscriptions offering physical newspaper delivery combined with full digital access.
3. Bundle Subscriptions: Joint digital subscription bundle with sister publication The Monthly.
4. Gift Subscriptions: Gift subscription options available for digital and print formats.
5. Corporate Subscriptions: Bulk corporate subscription packages for businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Saturday Paper is an Australian weekly newspaper and digital publication that produces independent journalism covering news, politics, culture, life, food, puzzles, and sport. It is published 50 times per year by Schwartz Media and sold to consumers through digital subscriptions, print subscriptions, and combined print-and-digital bundles, including gift and corporate subscription tiers.

Product overview

The Saturday Paper is a weekly Australian newspaper published 50 times a year by Schwartz Media. The product portfolio consists of a core digital and print edition offering in-depth journalism, investigative reporting, and commentary across news, politics, culture, and society. Additional offerings include a Post section for breaking news between editions, curated newsletters, puzzles and quizzes for subscriber engagement, and bundle options pairing The Saturday Paper with The Monthly magazine. The publication also offers gift and corporate subscription tiers. The content spans major sections including News, Comment, Culture, Life, Food, Sport, and Books, with contributors providing exclusive interviews, analysis, and investigative journalism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Cryptic: Crossword puzzle section
• The Quiz
• The Week

Products and services

• The Saturday Paper Digital Edition Weekly digital newspaper edition providing in-depth journalism, analysis, and commentary on Australian politics, culture, and current affairs, available to individual subscribers on monthly, six-month, and annual terms.
• The Saturday Paper Print Edition Physical weekly newspaper delivered to subscribers, published 50 times per year, bundled with full digital access.
• The Monthly & The Saturday Paper Bundle Annual digital subscription bundle providing full digital access to both The Saturday Paper and The Monthly magazine.
• Gift Subscriptions Gift subscription products available for purchase as gifts to other individuals, offered in digital and print formats.
• Corporate Subscriptions Bulk organisational subscription tiers for businesses and institutions purchasing multiple seats.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Monthly: Sister publication under Schwartz Media offering long-form Australian journalism, commentary, and culture coverage. The two titles share a parent and a bundled subscription product, making it the closest comparable in format, audience, and business model.
• Crikey: Australian independent news outlet funded by paid subscriptions, focused on politics, media, and investigative journalism. Closely comparable audience of educated readers and a similar subscription-first revenue model in the Australian market.
• The Conversation Australia: Independent Australian news and analysis site publishing academic and expert commentary on current affairs. Comparable as an independent, non-commercial-newsroom alternative targeting educated readers seeking depth over breaking news.
• The New Yorker: Weekly long-form magazine covering news, politics, culture, and criticism. Highly comparable as a paid weekly publication whose value proposition — depth, literary quality, and independent journalism — closely mirrors The Saturday Paper's positioning.
• The Economist: Weekly international news and analysis publication with a global subscription model. Comparable cadence (weekly), depth-led editorial approach, and premium subscription pricing targeting educated, globally curious readers.

Broad incumbents

• The Guardian Australia: Australian edition of a major global digital newsroom covering politics, culture, and investigative journalism. Overlaps significantly in subject matter and target reader, but operates at much greater scale and with a freemium digital model rather than hard paywall.
• ABC News: Australia's national public broadcaster covering news, politics, and culture. Substitutes for some of The Saturday Paper's editorial coverage and competes for the same educated reader attention, but is publicly funded and free to access.
• The Australian: National Australian newspaper covering politics, business, and culture with a paid subscription model. Comparable in national reach and paid news positioning, though serving a broader and more conservative-leaning audience.
• Australian Financial Review: Australia's leading business-focused paid newspaper. Comparable as a high-priced subscription news product targeting professional readers, though concentrated on business and finance rather than politics and culture.
• The New York Times: Global subscription-led news brand demonstrating the premium digital subscription model The Saturday Paper aspires to scale. Overlaps in covering politics, culture, and long-form journalism, though operating at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SatPaper
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thesaturdaypaper
• Facebookfacebook.com/thesaturdaypaper
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesaturdaypaper

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 The Saturday Paper