The publisher of BirminghamLive has acquired the company behind a string of household media brands such as the Daily Star and celebrity magazine OK!
Trinity Mirror has today confirmed it is buying the publishing assets of Northern & Shell for £126.7 million after sale talks were announced last year.
In addition to the new BirminghamLive website, Trinity Mirror also owns a vast portfolio of regional newspaper titles and websites including the Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post, Sunday Mercury, Solihull News and Coventry Telegraph.
It also owns national titles the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.
Trinity Mirror's acquisition comprises four national newspapers - Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday - and celebrity magazines OK!, New! and Star.
The deal also includes websites Express.co.uk and Dailystar.co.uk, which achieved 280 million page views in December 2017, a print plant in Luton and a 50 per cent joint venture interest in the Irish Daily Star.
A Trinity Mirror statement to the London Stock Exchange today said: "The board believes the acquisition creates a media business of scale to better serve our readers and advertisers."
Chief executive Simon Fox said: "This deal is a really exciting moment in Trinity Mirror's history, combining some of the most iconic titles in the UK media industry.
"It is good for our readers, good for our customers and good for our shareholders.
"Northern & Shell's titles have a large and loyal readership, a growing digital presence and a stable revenue mix and offer an excellent fit with Trinity Mirror."
Northern & Shell chairman Richard Desmond added: "The Express Newspapers and our celebrity magazine titles have been a key part of the Northern & Shell portfolio for many years.
"I am immensely proud of building them into one of the largest newspaper and magazine groups in the UK.
"Today's transformational transaction is a logical and natural next step in the evolution and consolidation of the media sector and will create a larger and stronger platform serving all stakeholders.
"In Trinity Mirror, we have a great partner who will be an excellent steward of the business going forward and I am delighted to be able to retain an ongoing interest in the combined group."
