The first copies of the title, which is now owned by Johnston Press, were distributed to over 1300 retailers in the region. The newspaper is being printed at Johnston Press’ printing press in Carn, Northern Ireland.
To allow readers in the region to get a full taste of the newspaper, says Johnston Press, which prides itself on its concise, creative and quality content, i will be free of charge in the region from launch date until Friday 13th May.
The expansion is being supported by a significant amount of promotional activity, including local radio ads on Cool FM and Downtown Radio. There will also be on the street distribution in key local areas such as universities, railway stations and bus stations, enabling consumers to easily pick up a copy wherever they are.
The launch signifies the first regional expansion for the daily newspaper, following Johnston Press’ announcement of its acquisition in February 2016. The first standalone issue under its ownership was published in England on Monday 11th April and, since then, the new inews.co.uk has also gone live.
Oliver Duff, editor at i, said: “As a team, we are incredibly excited about the expansion into Northern Ireland. It is another exciting step in the i journey for us, and we look forward to seeing how it continues to develop.”
Ashley Highfield, CEO of Johnston Press, said: “With ongoing change in the newspaper industry, i is a great example of a title that knows its audience and fulfills a genuine desire – and this has been the key to its success since its launch in 2010. Acquiring the newspaper is already proving an effective move for Johnston Press, and we are delighted to finally be expanding into Northern Ireland.”
