Metro International launches new advertising package and implements structural changes in Hungary



Metro International S.A. ("Metro International"), the international
newspaper group, today announced that its newspaper in Hungary,
Metropol, has entered into a new sales partnership with Axel Springer
- the largest publishing group in Hungary, and concurrently
implements several structural changes for the purpose of improving
the financial performance of the Hungarian operation.

As of today, Metropol and Axel  Springer will together offer a  joint
advertising package combining  Metropol, the most  read newspaper  in
the Budapest  and  Pest  county, and  the  strong  regional  coverage
offered by the various newspapers of Axel Springer. The sales package
will provide advertisers with the largest national reach in  Hungary,
reaching  1.3  million  daily  readers   or  17%  of  the   Hungarian
population. [i]

As of 1st January  2010 Metropol will be  re-launched in the  smaller
half-Berliner format. The concept has been well perceived when tested
on readers of Metropol  and has also proven  to be successful in  the
Czech Republic where  it improved the  positioning of the  newspaper.
Metropol will also increase the amount of in-house produced editorial
content, particularly within the  areas of entertainment and  trends.
Furthermore, Metropol will change  printers from Adoc-Interprint  Kft
to AS-Nyomda Kft during the start of 2010. Following these structural
changes, the annual  net savings  in year  2010 are  estimated to  be
approximately HUF 150 million (EUR 0.5 million).

Per Mikael  Jensen, CEO  Metro International  commented: "By  joining
forces with Axel Springer, we are  now able to offer our clients  one
of the largest reach within print in Hungary. This will enable us  to
compete with television, currently the  largest media vehicle in  the
country. Through  the new  editorial changes  and format,  we aim  to
provide a newspaper  that will  better meet  the needs  of our  young
readers in Hungary.  Following these changes,  we are expecting  that
Metropol will reach profitability in year 2010."

[i] Source: Millward Brown / TGI 2008/III-IV & 2009/I-II


For further information please contact:

Per Mikael Jensen, CEO and President        +44 (0)78 4167 3230
Anders Kronborg, CFO                        +44 (0)79 1254 0800
Martin Alsander, EVP                        + 46 (0)70 422 9994


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ABOUT METRO INTERNATIONAL AND METRO
Metro is the largest international newspaper in the world.  Metro  is
published in over  100 major  cities in  19 countries across  Europe,
North & South  America and Asia.  Metro has a  unique global reach  -
attracting a young, active, well-educated Metropolitan audience of 17
million daily readers.

Metro International S.A.  shares are listed  on Nasdaq OMX  Stockholm
through Swedish Depository Receipts  of series A  and series B  under
the symbols MTROA and MTROB.

Pièces jointes

Press release PDF.pdf