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Reach continues ‘Live’ rollout with four new site launches

Reach plc is continuing the ongoing rollout of its ‘Live’ brands across the UK with the launch of new online titles in Wigan, Warwickshire, Northumberland and Brighton.

Recent months have seen the publisher expanding its digital footprint significantly beyond its original print patches to take in areas already served by other publishing groups.

The latest expansion will see the launch of MyWigan this week as a distinct channel on the Manchester Evening News site, alongside MyBolton, MyBury and MySalford.

Meanwhile WarwickshireLive will launch as a separate channel on the CoventryLive website, the online brand of the Coventry Telegraph.MyWiganNext week will see the launch of two further sites – NorthumberlandLive which will sit on the ChronicleLive site – and BrightonLive, a new channel on the recently-launched SussexLive platform.

While Northumberland has always been core Reach plc territory through its daily print titles the Chronicle and Journal, the Sussex sites represent an expansion into areas where JPIMedia and Newquest have traditionally been the dominant players.

No new jobs are being created by the launches which will be staffed by existing Reach employees.

Alan Edmunds, managing director for regionals at Reach plc said: “Customer response to our Live sites has been really positive and we continue to strengthen our digital regional news offering for communities across the country.”

The ‘Live’ brand, now used across the majority of the Reach regional network, has been running for five years and was first used in 2015 with the creation of BelfastLive which now has a monthly reach of 1.3m.

Other major new launches over the past five years have included MyLondon, which has a monthly reach of 5.6m and Leeds Live which reaches 1.2m monthly.warwickshirelive_master_logo_rev