Daily reach: online + print
2,494,390
1 in 3 Belgian people
Belgium
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The most significant news event of 2025 in Belgium:
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Early in the new year, following eight months of difficult negotiations, Belgium finally had a federal government. That was news in itself. A Flemish nationalist becoming prime minister was unprecedented. Bart De Wever of N-VA has since become firm friends with the King, loved by many of Belgium’s French-speakers and at ease as the leader of the country.
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Image: © Bart Dewaele
Subscribers
418,997
49% digital
51% print
Daily reach: online
1,204,549
News brands - national
News brands - regional
Radio stations
Digital leap forward: new apps and the bundle of the future
We launched revamped apps for all our titles in 2025. Where users previously needed two separate apps – one for news and one for the digital newspaper – everything is now combined into a single app for each title. This allows readers to seamlessly switch between the familiar pdf view and enriched articles with videos, links and references to related pieces.
The digital newspaper is fully integrated into the news app, creating a richer and more user-friendly experience. We improved the navigation and live experience for major events too, with clear zones, labelling and video integration.
We also introduced Bundle of the Future, a new way to experience news. Readers can intuitively – just like they’re used to doing on social media – swipe through the topics in the bundle. We rolled out the concept at De Standaard with DS Avond: an evening selection of articles carefully compiled by our journalists into a single overview, complemented by multimedia. Our other titles will soon be able to use this format too.
© Nieuwsblad - One single app for all that Nieuwsblad has to offer
LUISTER: one place for all our audio content
In November, we launched LUISTER, a recognisable environment in our news apps that combines all our audio content: podcasts, audio articles and exclusive series from Nieuwsblad, De Standaard, Het Belang van Limburg and Gazet van Antwerpen.
Mediahuis pioneered DS Audio back in 2017, and audio has since become a full-fledged part of our digital strategy. Every month, we produce more than 120 new episodes of strong podcast series such as DS Vandaag, Stemmen van Assisen, Het Punt van Van Impe and Van Moord tot Verdict. Together, these account for more than 2 million downloads and streams each month.
Whereas podcasts were previously only available for free, with adverts, we’re now committed to publishing quality audio journalism behind a paywall too. The new LUISTER environment is designed with a user experience that matches how people actually use podcasts: from following series to discovering new formats.
By making a selection of podcasts paid, we underline the journalistic value of our newsrooms and make audio a true part of our apps. Subscribers have access to audio stories and podcasts from all our titles in one familiar environment.
LUISTER brings podcasts, audio articles, and audiobooks together in every news app
De Standaard en français
Since 4 December, De Standaard has been published not only in Dutch but also in French. Exactly 107 years after the first edition of the paper rolled off the presses, we launched a French-language edition: De Standaard en français. A team of bilingual journalists at De Standaard selects the most relevant articles from the paper each morning to compile into an innovative digital publication at standaard.be/fr.
Karel Verhoeven, editor-in-chief of De Standaard: “The biggest challenges have been coming from outside Belgium for a while. Just look at the debates about the defence billions, Euroclear, trade barriers and positions on Gaza and Israel. These issues are decided at European and especially federal level, where fierce debates also take place on the budget, the many reforms to pensions and unemployment benefits, social security, justice and migration.”
“There are no unambiguous fault lines between Flemish and French-speaking interests and concerns in those debates. So the journalism that De Standaard publishes on these matters is pertinent not only for Flemish people. We see it as an increasing democratic deficit that there is no national media in this urgent national and international context. We want to take responsibility for that.”
© De Standaard - De Standaard en français
From follower to fan: how we lead young people to our apps
In 2025, we again brought young people closer to our journalism. We saw strong growth on platforms where they feel at home – Instagram and TikTok – and learned which formats work best there. We’re reaching 770,000 followers on these channels today, across all our brands.
But simple reach on social media isn’t enough: we want young people to experience our quality journalism on our own platforms. That’s why we launched ‘Wij betalen’ (We Pay), a temporary initiative giving every young person between 18 and 26 free access to all Belgian Mediahuis news brands until the summer of 2026. A total of 21,405 young people signed up.
Those who want to stay with us after the summer can opt for our youth formula, which always applies to 18- to 26-year-olds: unlimited reading for €1 a week, with extra benefits such as RouteYou and e-books. This approach not only ensures reach, but actively directs young audiences to our own platforms and turns them into fans of our brands.
Stories that connect and create change
Last year, our newsrooms once again proved that journalism is about more than informing: it can bring people together and initiate change.
When De Standaard investigated the water quality in Flanders with the Watermonsters project, it inspired broad public debate. The largest ever citizen survey on water quality – conducted with the non-profit Waterland and KU Leuven – saw 5,000 citizens take action.
Nieuwsblad put the issue of hardened, paved school grounds firmly on the public agenda. With the 'Groene Speelplaats' (green playground) initiative, it mobilised readers and schools to create more green spaces. A total of 667 schools signed up, and a school for special education in Aalst received €50,000 to build a green oasis.
Het Belang van Limburg inspired with Lang Leve de Limburgers, a long-term project that aims to help people in the province live healthier lives. It focuses on exercise, nutrition, mental well-being and connection, based on insights from the Blue Zones: regions of the world where people live remarkably longer and healthier lives.
With Single in the City, Gazet van Antwerpen explored the difficulties of finding housing as a single person in Antwerp, and the financial consequences. It was a recognisable theme that touched many readers.
We also spotlighted entrepreneurs and regional products with the Product Made in Awards: there were nearly 300 entries and 50,000 votes before The Product 2025 was decided.
© Het Belang van Limburg - Lang leve de Limburgers
Nostalgie truly lives up to its name
Play Nostalgie became Nostalgie again in September and significantly strengthened its programming with a new morning show presented by Veronique De Kock. With a 4,1% market share in the 18-54 commercial target group, Nostalgie remained stable in the first half of 2025. Each month, the station reached 919.859 listeners.
Sister station Nostalgie Plus also performed well and is now firmly in the top 5 of smaller radio brands. Every month, 296,343 listeners tune in to the station, worth a 1.4% market share in the first months of the year. Nostalgie Plus is home to legendary radio personalities such as Bert Geenen, Michel Follet and Leen Demaré.
© Ranaa Tasatan - Nostalgie presenter Veronique De Kock
Euractiv at the heart of Europe’s policy community
In December, more than 200 European transport policymakers and professionals attended the Euractiv Transport Policy Conference in Brussels. Hosted at Autoworld near the European Commission, the event brought together established members of the policy community and new participants alike, reflecting the conference’s growing reach and relevance.
As one of Euractiv’s key events in 2025, the conference demonstrated the continued development of Mediahuis’ Europe brand as a trusted information platform for professionals engaged in European decision‑making. In total, 86 Euractiv Policy events attracted more than 2,500 participants in Brussels alone.
During the year, Euractiv strengthened its position as a subscription‑based service for specialised audiences, further expanding its presence in the B2B market where depth, accuracy and access are essential. Euractiv PRO extended its offering with a fifth domain focused on Defence and a new weekly briefing on the upcoming European Multiannual Financial Framework, titled Budget Brief. These additions build on established PRO coverage in Energy, Environment and Transport, Agriculture and Food, Technology, and Health. Euractiv PRO now reaches targeted professional audiences across Europe and beyond.
© Omar Havana — Euractiv Transport Policy Conference