Newsweek‘s expanding health coverage

The acquisition fits within a broader plan by Newsweek to expand its business-to-business revenue by tapping into its growing body of health coverage. Since 2018, the publisher has offered a ranked list of hospitals that has acted as the centerpiece of that content strategy.

Now, roughly half of its rankings content falls within the healthcare sector, and the company is preparing to launch a healthcare portal this summer that will bring together rankings, editorial coverage, and consumer-facing services. It is also developing a healthcare-focused events business, beginning with its inaugural Health Week this September in New York.

Adprime offers managed and programmatic media buying, endemic content formats, and targeting based on user behavior and medical licensing data—all while using a methodology that complies with the thicket of regulations surrounding medical advertising. Its clients include pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, medical device makers, and wellness brands.

While Adprime’s campaigns span the open web and CTV, its integration into Newsweek’s infrastructure will give healthcare marketers a way to plan campaigns across editorial content, rankings, lead-gen products, and third-party inventory.

The DSP will let marketers more effectively target the medical professionals and consumers that frequent Newsweek for its growing body of healthcare coverage. It will also let Newsweek glean data from audiences beyond its own platforms.

Internally, the company refers to its healthcare expansion as part of Nexxus, a B2B initiative that has become increasingly core to its growth strategy.

Last year, consumer ad revenue made up 63% of the Newsweek business, whereas this year that figure is pacing for between 50% to 55%, according to Pragad. By bolting on a DSP that enhances its ties to the healthcare industry, the publisher sees a clear path toward expanding its business in the sector.

“Healthcare ad spending is structurally resilient; its marketing mix remains weighted toward traditional media but is accelerating into digital, and analysts forecast double-digit growth in online channels over the next several years,” said Saunders. “And now Newsweek owns a demand engine right in the middle of it.”