BERTRANGE, Luxembourg, March 21, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Metro International S.A. ("Metro"), the international newspaper group, today announced that it has launched five new editions in Italy to cover the additional cities of Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Turin, Verona and Padua. With the new editions the number of printed copies in Italy increases to 850,000 each day, establishing Metro as the highest-circulation daily newspaper in Italy.
Metro launched the first Italian edition of its free newspaper in Rome in July 2000. In January this year its second edition in Milan (launched in October 2000) was extended to the cities of Brescia, Bergamo, Pavia, Lecco, Monza, Lodi and Varese. Today's national expansion to seven editions in Italy is part of that expansion project and follows Metro's Europe-wide strategy to cover national markets, as has already happened in several countries including Spain, France, Sweden and Poland.
Metro's distribution area in Italy accounts for a very high share of the country's newspaper advertising market, which is worth around EUR 1.7 billion per annum.
"Our expansion in Italy reflects the success of Metro Italy as well as the demand from our advertising clients for national coverage. Today Metro becomes the leading nationally-distributed daily newspaper in Italy and the expansion will provide Metro with access to additional advertising revenue streams," commented Metro President and CEO Pelle Tornberg.
Metro is the largest and fastest growing international newspaper in the world. 52 daily Metro editions are published in 75 major cities in 17 countries in 16 languages across Europe, North & South America and Asia. Metro has a unique global reach -- attracting a young, active, well-educated audience of more than 15 million daily readers and over 33 million weekly readers (source; TNS Gallup, Fall 2004). Metro has an equal number of male and female readers and 70% are under the age of 45. Metro's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual rate of 47% since the launch of the first edition in 1995.
Metro International S.A. 'A' and 'B' shares are listed on the Stockholmsborsen 'O-List' under the symbols MTROA and MTROB.
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