A shift to fewer towns and premium ads is set to bring Nub News its first profit. The publisher expects £7,500 in profit for 2026 after closing 17 locations and focusing on sustainable growth.
Digital publishers tracking local news models will note Nub News expects to reach profitability for the first time in 2026, following a major reduction in its hyperlocal footprint and a pivot toward premium advertising. The UK-based, digital-only publisher, which launched in September 2018, now operates in 25 towns, down from a peak of 42, after closing 17 locations over the past 18 months. This strategic contraction, combined with a revamped advertising approach, is forecast to deliver a profit of £7,500 next year, according to founder Karl Hancock.
Hancock attributed the turnaround to three main changes: scaling back operations in towns that failed to generate sufficient ad revenue, shifting the sales strategy to focus on inbound advertiser interest, and introducing premium-tier advertising options. He said the company learned that launching in any town regardless of size or business competition was unsustainable. Going forward, Nub News will assign one journalist per town, with each required to live locally and produce around 25 stories per week, including press release rewrites and original reporting.
The publisher’s “Crewe template”-named after its successful launch in the town of Crewe-now guides expansion. Crewe, with a population of 75,000, delivers 50,000 unique users weekly and has become a model for other launches in Stafford, Stoke, Chester, Solihull, and Stockport. Hancock said towns with a competitive local business market and limited existing news coverage are now prioritized, and proximity to other Nub News towns allows for operational synergies and easier collaboration among journalists.
Nub News currently reaches one million monthly unique users across its active towns. Its most recent launch in Solihull attracted 2,000 Facebook followers in the first week. The company employs 25 full-time staff, including six in sales and tech roles based in Crewe. While some legacy towns still have one journalist covering multiple locations, Hancock said the goal is a strict one-to-one ratio between journalists and towns.
Revenue Model
About 75% of Nub News revenue comes from local business partners, with the remainder from subscriptions, premium advertising on lifestyle pages, and Facebook monetization. The company has around 650 paying subscribers, who pay between £2.99 and £9.99 per month for an ad-free experience. Premium advertisers can pay for priority placement or social media promotion, while businesses can also pay to promote offers and discounts on the site. Hancock said the company’s five largest towns-Crewe, Macclesfield, Kenilworth, Thurrock, and Stockport-account for 30% of total revenue.
To operate in each town, Nub News requires between £30,000 and £40,000 in annual advertising revenue. The publisher offers exclusive partnerships to local businesses, such as estate agents and care homes, often in towns where three or four similar businesses compete. Hancock said this approach helps establish a strong local presence and creates opportunities to expand into neighboring towns with limited news coverage.
Distribution and Platform Strategy
Traffic to Nub News is split roughly equally between Facebook, Google (including Discover and search), and direct visits. Hancock acknowledged the company’s reliance on major tech platforms but said a new Nub News app, launched in June, is intended to reduce dependence on Facebook and Google. The app provides another distribution channel and helps the publisher “own” its audience. Hancock reported that Google traffic is currently down 20% from its July-August 2025 peak, but he is not concerned about industry fears of “Google Zero.”
Recent improvements to Nub News’ Facebook strategy, including a focus on short-form vertical video and original photography, have increased followers from 210,000 in January 2025 to 274,000. Hancock said the publisher’s content is designed to appeal to Google Discover and Facebook algorithms by emphasizing original, high-quality local journalism over clickbait or broad news content.
Looking ahead, Nub News has identified around 50 potential towns for future launches, though no timeline has been set. Hancock said he would be disappointed if the company is not operating in 75 towns within three years. The company’s approach echoes strategies seen in other newsletter-driven local news startups, such as the focus on sustainable growth and direct audience relationships described in this report on The Knowledge’s path to profitability.
Ownership of Nub News is split between founder Karl Hancock, who holds about 25%, and Bill Holmes, owner of Crewe-based fuel card provider Radius, who holds 57%.
