Metro is a free daily newspaper widely distributed across the United Kingdom, particularly in urban centres and on public transport networks. For anyone asking “who owns Metro newspaper,” the answer is that the title is owned and published by DMG Media, which is part of the larger Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) group, a long-established UK media company headquartered in London.
According to the Metro section of the DMG Media portfolio, Metro is listed as one of the group’s key brands under its consumer media division. DMG Media notes that Metro operates as a free print newspaper as well as a digital news platform, alongside other well-known brands such as the Daily Mail and MailOnline, under the same corporate umbrella (as described on the DMG Media official website at dmgmedia.co.uk). This places Metro within a broader stable of UK-focused news and entertainment outlets ultimately controlled by the same parent organisation.
Looking at the wider ownership structure, DMG Media is itself a business of Daily Mail and General Trust plc (often shortened to DMGT). DMGT is a private company ultimately controlled by the Rothermere family. Information published on the DMGT corporate site explains that the company was taken private by Rothermere Continuation Limited following a recommended cash offer in 2021, resulting in DMGT’s delisting from the London Stock Exchange. The DMGT group overview on dmgt.com sets out that the business owns a number of media, property information and events companies, with DMG Media being the consumer media arm that houses Metro.
The Rothermere family’s role is documented in DMGT’s own corporate information. The group’s history section refers to the founding and long-term stewardship of the business by the Rothermere family, with the current chairman, Lord Rothermere (Jonathan Harmsworth), identified as the controlling shareholder of the wider group. This means that, in practical terms, ownership of Metro newspaper can be traced from the Metro publishing operation to DMG Media, up to DMGT, and then to the Rothermere family as the ultimate controlling interest via their private holding structure, as outlined on the DMGT corporate governance pages.
Metro operates as both a print and digital brand. The print edition is best known as a free newspaper distributed on weekday mornings in high-footfall locations such as railway stations, bus terminals and city centres. The publisher’s own information and circulation details, set out in media packs available via DMG Media’s advertising channels, describe Metro as targeting urban commuters and younger readers with a concise mix of national news, entertainment, sport and lifestyle content. The free model and commuter-focused distribution distinguish Metro from paid-for national dailies in the UK market.
Alongside the print edition, Metro’s online presence is delivered through the Metro.co.uk website, which is also operated by DMG Media. The digital platform provides breaking news, features, commentary, and entertainment coverage, often with a strong focus on UK current affairs, celebrity news and sport. The DMG Media brand portfolio page explicitly includes Metro.co.uk under the Metro brand, making clear that both the physical and digital versions of Metro are owned within the same corporate structure.
From a regulatory and industry perspective, ownership of UK newspapers is monitored and noted in various official and semi-official registers. For example, the UK government’s media ownership materials and industry commentary frequently group Metro together with other DMG Media titles as part of the wider Daily Mail stable of publications. In addition, media industry bodies that track circulation and readership often list Metro under DMG Media, confirming the ownership relationship documented on DMG Media’s own site.
The editorial stance and day-to-day content decisions at Metro are managed by its own editorial team, but as with most UK newspapers, ultimate ownership resides with the parent media company. It is important to distinguish between editorial independence at the title level and corporate ownership. While Metro is often positioned as a relatively concise, commuter-friendly news source, the ultimate economic and legal control sits with DMG Media and, through that, with DMGT and the Rothermere interests described in DMGT’s corporate documents.
For readers in the UK, this ownership structure is particularly relevant when considering media plurality and concentration. The fact that Metro is owned by DMG Media means that one corporate group controls multiple high-reach outlets, including the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Metro and MailOnline, among others. This is reflected in media plurality discussions and in various Ofcom and Competition and Markets Authority analyses of the UK news market, which routinely treat DMG Media as one of the major national newspaper groups. Those regulatory and monitoring sources reference DMG Media’s portfolio using data and descriptions that match the brand information given directly on dmgmedia.co.uk, reinforcing the conclusion about who owns Metro newspaper.
Geographically, Metro’s core relevance is within the United Kingdom. The free print edition is distributed in major UK cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and others, focusing on commuter routes and transport hubs. There is no evidence from the official Metro or DMG Media materials to suggest that the free UK Metro newspaper is produced or controlled by a separate owner in South Africa. It is important to note that there are or have been publications called “Metro” in other countries, sometimes owned by different companies, but these are distinct from the UK Metro owned by DMG Media. When considering the target keyword “who owns Metro newspaper” in a UK context, the relevant entity is the DMG Media-owned Metro brand described above.
In South Africa, the name “Metro” is more commonly associated with radio (such as Metro FM) and other local media outlets that are unrelated to DMG Media’s UK newspaper. South African media ownership, including broadcast and print, is overseen by different corporate groups entirely, and official information from those companies does not link them to the UK Metro newspaper brand operated by DMG Media. Therefore, for South African readers looking at UK news sources, Metro should be understood as a UK title ultimately owned through the DMG Media and DMGT structure, not as part of a South African media group.
In terms of contact and corporate details, DMG Media provides its main registered office and corporate contact information through its official website. The site lists DMG Media’s principal address in London and gives advertising, editorial and corporate communications contact routes. However, specific, dedicated public contact details for Metro’s organisational ownership beyond what appears on DMG Media’s general contact and advertising pages are not always separately itemised for Metro alone. Based on the publicly available corporate ownership information and the lack of bespoke, ownership-specific contact information for Metro distinct from DMG Media, the appropriate conclusion in relation to ownership-specific contact details is: No public contact details found.
In summary, Metro newspaper in the UK is owned by DMG Media, the consumer media division of Daily Mail and General Trust. DMGT is a privately held company controlled by the Rothermere family, as set out in DMGT’s own corporate information at dmgt.com and the brand portfolio details at dmgmedia.co.uk. Metro’s status as a free, commuter-focused newspaper and its online presence at Metro.co.uk are both part of this DMG Media portfolio. Any reader asking “who owns Metro newspaper” in a UK context can therefore rely on these corporate disclosures and industry classifications to understand that Metro forms part of the broader Daily Mail and General Trust media group, under the ultimate influence of the Rothermere family’s private holding arrangements.
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