Zoopla does deal to power 273 local newspaper websites for Johnston Press

Friday 26th August 2011

Zoopla has signed an exclusive deal with local newspaper publishers Johnston Press, whereby it will power a new classified property platform for all 273 of Johnston’s local websites.
 
Johnston Press publishes 18 daily newspapers including the Yorkshire Evening Post, The Scotsman and the Portsmouth News as well as 237 weekly newspapers and over 270 local websites, with a combined reach of over 13 million people each month.

The deal could prove a significant boost to Johnston Press which, like all publishers of local newspapers, has been hit hard by a general downturn in advertising.

This week Johnston Press delivered results showing a 10% decline in ad sales, together  with a loss of 179 jobs in the group, in the first half of the year. It also disclosed that advertising revenues had continued to fall seven weeks into the second half of the year. In Yorkshire, there are journalist strikes about proposed further job cuts.

Outgoing chief executive John Fry said: “It’s clear that the regional economies are not buoyant. They haven’t been buoyant for some time. It’s gone from tough to tough.”
 
The long-term partnership between Zoopla and Johnston will see Zoopla extend the distribution and exposure it offers to its agents via hundreds of Johnston Press’s local websites across the UK.
 
In return, Johnston will significantly increase the promotion of its online property offering through all of its newspapers and websites once the new service is launched.  
 
Henry Faure Walker, digital and  business development director at Johnston Press, said: “Zoopla is one of the most innovative players in the online property space and this partnership will see them power an exciting new property platform for our local websites.  The new platform will add further value to both our online audience and property advertisers, and we are delighted to be working with Zoopla.”