The Arizona-based O’Rourke Media Group, the owner of several community magazines in Bucks County, has acquired the tabloid newspaper Metro Philadelphia and its affiliated sports website.
The deal, which closed earlier this summer, also includes the digital publication Metro.us and the Philly Sports Network.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the companies.
The acquisition creates the largest newspaper presence in the Philadelphia market with a combined circulation of more than 180,000, the company said.
The Metro Philadelphia tabloid is distributed to mailboxes and high-traffic locations.
“We’re excited to welcome the Metro team to O’Rourke Media Group,” said Jim O’Rourke, CEO and owner of O’Rourke Media Group. “We currently publish 11 local newspapers with local websites in the Philly burbs, Bucks County, and Montgomery County. Adding such a strong brand, newspaper and digital presence with Metro and Philly Sports Network is super exciting and will position us to achieve significant audience and revenue growth with a big focus on digital.”
Metro Philadelphia publishes its print edition three times a week and daily digital content. It covers breaking news, local events, and lifestyle stories.
The tabloid was once a staple of SEPTA stations in the city and suburbs.
O’Rourke Media Group, which started in 2018, owns more than 30 publications, according to the news industry trade publication Editor and Publisher.
Last year, the group purchased Falls Township-based Times Publishing Newspapers, which includes the Doylestown Observer, Fairless Focus, Langhorne Ledger, Morrisville Times, Newtown Gazette, Northampton Herald, New Hope News, Lower Southampton Spirit, Warwick Journal, and the Yardley Voice.
Joshua Schneps, CEO of New York-based Schneps Media, said he was happy to “pass the torch of our Philadelphia business to Jim O’Rourke.”
“He is taking on a terrific team that will benefit from his leadership, commitment to local news and knowledge of the Philadelphia market,” Schneps said. “I wish him and the team the best of luck.”
Schneps Media, which owns publication in New York, acquired Metro Philadelphia and Metro New York in 2020.
The newspaper underwent significant newsroom layoffs prior to Schneps Media’s ownership, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
