USA Today Co. To Acquire The Detroit News

USA TODAY Co., owner of the Detroit Free Press, announced Monday that it has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire The Detroit News from MediaNews Group. The deal is expected to close by the end of January 2026.

The two newspapers will continue to operate separately, with independent newsrooms and editorial teams, preserving Detroit as a two-newspaper city.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. USA TODAY Co. (formerly known as Gannett) will finance the purchase partly with cash and partly with funds managed by Apollo Global Management, its primary lender.

“The acquisition of The Detroit News will be a strategic investment that strengthens the USA TODAY Network’s audience and its portfolio of more than 200 local publications nationwide and reinforces our commitment to local journalism in the Detroit metropolitan area,” said Michael Reed, chairman and CEO of USA TODAY Co.

He added: “Welcoming The Detroit News fully to our network will enable the continued delivery of trusted, high-quality news and content to our audiences and advertisers in the region.”

The move comes less than a month after the newspapers' long-standing joint operating agreement ended on December 28, 2025. That agreement, established in 1989, had combined advertising, printing, and distribution while keeping the editorial operations independent.