Statistical, Ecosystems and Competitiveness Analysis of the Media and Content Industries: The Newspaper Publishing Industry

ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS 
The Sanoma news division is only active on the Finnish market. It has the following activities 
(Figure B3):

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Statistical, Ecosystems and Competitiveness Analysis of the Media and Content Industries 
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Figure B3. Activities Finnish news division. 
Source: Annual Report 2008 
The Helsingin Sanomat is the largest newspaper in the Nordic region and the leading 
newspaper in Finland, with approximately 1 million Finns as daily readers. The newspaper's 
circulation is over 400,000 copies. It is the leading advertising medium in Finland. In addition 
to the daily edition, Helsingin Sanomat readers also receive a weekly supplement NYT, 
focusing on leisure and entertainment on Fridays, and a monthly magazine Kuukausiliite. 
Ilta-Sanomat is the second largest newspaper in Finland and the largest quality tabloid. Ilta-
Sanomat includes the sports and sports betting weekly Veikkaaja. The paper's circulation is 
over 150,000 copies and it has over 650,000 readers (Sanoma.com). Figure 4 shows the 
circulation of the two biggest Finnish newspapers. Like the total Finnish newspaper 
circulation, the circulation of these two print newspapers is decreasing.
Business 
Information
Picture agency 
IT Operation 
Printing Plants 

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The Newspaper Publishing Industry 
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Figure B4: Activities Finnish news division - Circulation Helsingin and Iltasanomat. 
Source: levikintarkastus.
Sanoma news division publishes three Finnish regional newspapers: Etelä-Saimaa, Kouvolan 
Sanomat, Kymen Sanomat and six local newspapers in South-east Finland. Sanoma news also 
publishes the free news sheets Metro and Vartti. The free sheet Metro is distributed in the 
Helsinki metropolitan area as well as in a number of other Finnish towns. It has in 2011 over 
500,000 readers weekly.
In addition to the print edition, all newspapers have a website. The Group's newspapers and 
magazines' online services offer a variety of services: theme sites on different topics, videos, 
user generated content, conversation platforms and archives. The online edition of Finland's 
leading daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Hs.fi, and the online edition of Ilta-Sanomat, 
Iltasanomat.fi, are among the most popular websites in Finland. Taloussanomat.fi provides 
news, financial information, analysis, financial tools and a conversation platform for free. 
Free sheet Vartti's online service Vartti.fi stood in 2008 in the top 10 online newspaper sites 
in Finland (press release 29 September 2008).
In response to advertisers’ shift from print to online advertising the company launched and 
took over a number of advertising sites. Sanoma has approximately ten popular classified 
websites, containing classified ads that used to be part of the printed newspaper. Among them 
are a site for car sales (keltainenporssi.fi) and a market place for second hand goods 
(Huuto.net). The job advertising site Oikotie.fi assumed the role of market leader in online job 
advertising in Finland (Sanoma, 2010). All together, as many as 80% of Finnish internet users 
access Sanoma’s online publications and services each week (Sanoma, 2008). Recently 
Sanoma became shareholder of the coupon sales website, Offerium.fi.
In addition to its Finnish on- and offline news activities, Sanoma has developed several news 
activities abroad. These activities, like Independent Media which publishes the newspapers 
The Moscow Times, the St. Petersburg Times and leading Russian business and financial 
daily Vedomosti, are part of the Sanoma Magazine division. In Estonia, Sanoma is the owner 
of the classified websites kuldnebors.ee and auto24.ee. The leading news website Netinfo.bg 
in Bulgaria is also part of Sanoma. In The Netherlands Sanoma owns leading news website 
NU.nl and television guide TVgids.nl. In 2011 Sanoma bought Dutch television broadcaster 
SBS.
The Finnish News Division witnessed a multi-channel growth, with both print and digital 
media significantly improving their performances (Sanoma, 2010). 

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