Belgian press: 9 in 10 Belgians read it monthly, a channel worth testing for SMEs

On 15 October 2026, the CIM (Centre d'Information sur les Médias) published the results of its Belgian Publishing Survey 2026. According to the study, 91.3% of Belgians consult at least one press brand every month, and 53.4% do so daily. At a time when social media and AI-generated summaries capture much of people's attention, the Belgian press still holds a large, independently measured audience. For an SME building its media plan, that is a figure worth considering.

1. An audience that is holding up against the fragmentation of attention

According to the CIM, 91.3% of Belgians consult at least one press brand every month, and 53.4% do so every day. Major publishing groups confirm the trend. Mediahuis reaches 2.3 million news consumers daily across print, PDF, web and apps, according to The Media Leader BE. DPG Media reports 3.2 million readers for its news brands and magazines, and Roularta Media Group reports a combined audience of 5.8 million readers and internet users.

These figures cover every format: print, website, app and digital edition. The Belgian press has not disappeared behind social platforms, it has simply changed shape.

2. An advertising channel Belgian SMEs often overlook

Belgian SMEs' advertising budgets are largely concentrated on social platforms and Google Ads. Yet the websites of major press groups offer a controlled editorial environment, with an audience measured by an independent body. For a company targeting a local or professional audience, this advertising inventory usefully complements social ads campaigns, rather than replacing them.

This is not a channel reserved for big brands. These groups' ad sales teams also offer display and native formats accessible to smaller budgets, with geographic or thematic targeting.

3. What this means for a company's digital strategy

Testing an ad placement on a Belgian press website also means betting on a trusted environment, at a time when the reliability of online information is increasingly questioned. For an SME, this can strengthen the credibility of a brand awareness or product launch campaign, alongside the usual social ads channels.

The CIM provides standardised audience data, useful for comparing the potential performance of the press against other channels before committing a test budget.

The AI lens, humans first

AI can cross-reference CIM audience data with a campaign's objectives to simulate different budget-split scenarios between social media, search and press websites. It can also automate programmatic display buying once the strategy is set. But choosing which press titles match the company's image, and judging whether the editorial environment truly serves the brand, remains a human decision. AI executes. Expertise decides, and keeps watch.