If you have ever stayed at a hotel in America, you have probably seen it slipped under your door in the morning — that colorful newspaper with the circular weather map, the short punchy stories, and the bright blue masthead that reads USA Today. For more than four decades, USA Today has been the most widely circulated newspaper in the United States. But the company behind it has gone through one of the most dramatic transformation stories in modern media history — including a name change that happened just months ago and a corporate structure that most readers have absolutely no idea about.
So who actually owns USA Today in 2026? The answer starts with a visionary publisher in 1982, runs through a massive media merger in 2019, and ends with a brand-new company name that only officially came into effect on November 18, 2025.
What Is USA Today?
USA Today is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. It was founded on September 15, 1982, by Al Neuharth, and is headquartered at 1675 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York City. The paper’s Editor-in-Chief is Caren Bohan and its Chief Content Officer is Kristin Roberts.
When Al Neuharth launched USA Today in 1982, it was unlike anything American journalism had ever seen. Short articles. Color photographs. A national weather map. Sports scores from every team in the country. It was designed to be read in the time it took to eat breakfast — and it worked. Within years, it became the highest-circulation newspaper in America.
Today, USA Today reaches over 181 million unique visitors to its digital platforms every single month — making it far more than just a hotel newspaper. It is one of the most visited news destinations in the entire country.
Who Owns USA Today Right Now in 2026?
USA Today is owned and operated by USA Today Co., Inc. — a diversified media company formerly known as Gannett Co., Inc.
Here is the important detail that most people miss: the company that owns USA Today no longer calls itself Gannett. On November 4, 2025, the company announced it was renaming Gannett to USA Today Co. The rebranding took effect on November 18, 2025.
The company’s common stock began trading under the new ticker symbol TDAY on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as of November 18, 2025, replacing the old ticker GCI.
So the full, correct answer is this: USA Today is owned by USA Today Co., Inc. (formerly Gannett), a publicly traded American media company trading on the NYSE under TDAY. The company is led by Chairman and CEO Mike Reed and is the largest newspaper publisher in the United States.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner / Shareholder | Type | Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA Today Co., Inc. (NYSE: TDAY) | Direct Parent Company | 100% owner of USA Today | Formerly Gannett Co.; renamed November 18, 2025 |
| Apollo Management Holdings, L.P. | Largest Institutional Shareholder | ~7.96% of TDAY | Major private equity and credit firm |
| BlackRock, Inc. | Institutional Investor | Significant TDAY stake | World’s largest asset manager |
| Alta Fundamental Advisers LLC | Institutional Investor | Significant TDAY stake | Active value-oriented investment firm |
| Vanguard Group | Institutional Investor | Significant TDAY stake | Passive index giant; consistent holder |
| State Street Corporation | Institutional Investor | Significant TDAY stake | Major index fund manager |
| Fortress Investment Group | Strategic Backer (via New Media/GateHouse) | Historical controlling influence | Managed New Media Investment Group; owned by SoftBank |
| Mike Reed | Chairman & CEO | Largest individual insider stake | Led company since 2019 GateHouse-Gannett merger |
| Public / Retail Shareholders | Individual Investors | Remaining shares | Anyone can buy TDAY stock on the NYSE |
The Origin Story: Al Neuharth and the Birth of USA Today
The story of USA Today starts with one of the most colorful and controversial figures in American journalism — Al Neuharth, the founder of Gannett who built a newspaper that the entire industry initially laughed at.
Neuharth launched USA Today on September 15, 1982, under the Gannett Company umbrella. Critics were brutal. The New York Times and Washington Post dismissed it as “McPaper” — fast food journalism with no nutritional value. Journalists mocked its short stories, its colorful graphics, and its refusal to engage in long-form investigative work.
The readers did not care. USA Today grew faster than any newspaper in American history. By the late 1980s, it had surpassed every other newspaper in the country by circulation. Its innovations — color printing, a national weather map, short digestible stories — were eventually copied by virtually every major newspaper in America. The paper that critics called a gimmick quietly transformed the entire industry.
Al Neuharth built USA Today as the flagship brand of Gannett, the company he also ran as CEO. Gannett itself had been founded much earlier — in 1906 in Rochester, New York, by Frank Gannett — and had spent decades quietly building a portfolio of local newspapers across America before Neuharth turned it into a national powerhouse with the launch of USA Today.
The 2019 Merger That Changed Everything
For decades, Gannett owned USA Today as a straightforward corporate structure — one company, one flagship newspaper, hundreds of local publications. Then came 2019, and everything changed.
In 2019, New Media Investment Group purchased newspaper publisher Gannett, the owner of USA Today and more than 100 other publications, for $1.4 billion. The deal merged GateHouse Media — which New Media operated — into Gannett, creating the largest newspaper publisher in the United States. After the deal, the combined company chose to operate under the Gannett name.
New Media Investment Group is managed by New York-based firm Fortress Investment Group through an affiliate. Fortress is owned by SoftBank, a Japanese conglomerate.
This is the ownership layer that most readers never think about. When you follow the ownership chain above Gannett — now USA Today Co. — you eventually arrive at Fortress Investment Group, a massive New York-based alternative investment firm that manages New Media Investment Group and whose parent is SoftBank of Japan. It is a chain that goes from a colorful hotel newspaper all the way to a Tokyo boardroom.
Mike Reed was named CEO after the 2019 merger. He was previously CEO of GateHouse Media and then New Media Investment Group when they acquired Gannett. He has served in senior executive capacities in the media industry for more than 25 years.
Why Gannett Renamed Itself USA Today Co.
The name change from Gannett to USA Today Co. in November 2025 was one of the most significant rebranding decisions in American media history — and the reason behind it is surprisingly straightforward.
According to Mike Reed, CEO of USA Today Co., the thought process behind the new name began about six months before the announcement as he met with marketing heads who had invested in USA Today or were contemplating doing so. “One thing was very common in that people didn’t really know who Gannett was,” Reed says. “And then I would say, ‘Well, USA Today?’ And everybody said, ‘Oh yeah, I know that.'”
USA Today Media President Kristin Roberts echoed the reasoning: “I think a lot of the time, people still think we’re your hotel newspaper. USA Today Co. is no longer your hotel newspaper. We are a digital platform. Over 181 million unique visitors come to our sites across the course of a month. We need to tell that story better.”
The rebranding also came with a new ticker symbol. Effective November 18, 2025, the company’s stock began trading as TDAY on the NYSE — a nod to the “Today” in USA Today and a deliberate signal to investors that this is a forward-looking digital media company, not a legacy print publisher living in the past.
What Does USA Today Co. Actually Own?
When you ask who owns USA Today, you are really asking about one brand inside a massive media empire. Mike Reed is the Chairman & CEO of USA Today Co., the largest news media business in the United States with a portfolio of more than 200 local media organizations across the nation and national publication, USA Today, as well as Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary and the second largest news media business in the United Kingdom.
USA Today Co. owns over 100 daily newspapers and nearly 1,000 weekly newspapers. These operations are in 44 U.S. states, one U.S. territory, and six countries.
The company also owns LocaliQ — a digital marketing solutions brand that supports small and medium-sized businesses with digital marketing products — giving it revenue streams well beyond traditional print advertising.
In January 2026, USA Today Co. continued its acquisition strategy. USA Today Co., owner of the Detroit Free Press, agreed to acquire The Detroit News from MediaNews Group. CEO Mike Reed said in a statement: “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 Institutional Shareholders: Who Really Calls the Shots?
Because USA Today Co. is a publicly traded company, real ownership power rests with its institutional shareholders — the giant investment firms that hold the most shares and exercise the most influence over corporate governance.
As of mid-2025, Apollo Management Holdings, L.P. is a significant shareholder with 7.96% ownership. Alta Fundamental Advisers LLC and BlackRock, Inc. also hold substantial stakes. Institutional investors collectively own over 81% of the company’s shares.
With 81% of shares in institutional hands, USA Today Co. operates under the constant scrutiny of professional fund managers who make their decisions based on quarterly earnings, digital subscriber growth, and return on equity. This pressure — to grow digital revenue fast enough to offset the long-term decline of print advertising — defines every strategic decision the company makes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns USA Today in 2026?
USA Today is owned by USA Today Co., Inc. (NYSE: TDAY), formerly known as Gannett Co., Inc., which rebranded on November 18, 2025.
Q2. What is the new name of Gannett?
Gannett officially renamed itself USA Today Co., Inc. on November 18, 2025, and its stock ticker changed from GCI to TDAY on the NYSE.
Q3. Who founded USA Today and when?
USA Today was founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, as the flagship publication of the Gannett Company.
Q4. Who is the CEO of USA Today Co. in 2026?
Mike Reed serves as Chairman and CEO of USA Today Co., a role he has held since the 2019 GateHouse-Gannett merger.
Q5. Is USA Today publicly traded?
Yes. USA Today Co. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TDAY as of November 18, 2025.
Q6. Who is the largest shareholder of USA Today Co.?
Apollo Management Holdings, L.P. is the largest institutional shareholder with approximately 7.96% of shares, followed by BlackRock and Alta Fundamental Advisers.
Q7. How many newspapers does USA Today Co. own?
USA Today Co. owns more than 200 local media organizations, over 100 daily newspapers, and nearly 1,000 weekly newspapers across 44 U.S. states and six countries.
Q8. What company owns USA Today Co.?
USA Today Co. is publicly traded with no single controlling parent. However, Fortress Investment Group — owned by SoftBank of Japan — was the strategic force behind the 2019 GateHouse-Gannett merger that created the current company.
USA Today is owned by USA Today Co., Inc. — formerly Gannett Co., Inc. — a publicly traded American media company that rebranded on November 18, 2025 and now trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol TDAY. The company is led by Chairman and CEO Mike Reed and is the largest newspaper publisher in the United States, owning more than 200 local media organizations, 100+ daily newspapers, and Newsquest in the UK.
The largest institutional shareholders include Apollo Management Holdings (~7.96%), BlackRock, Vanguard, and Alta Fundamental Advisers, with institutions collectively holding over 81% of all shares. Behind the corporate structure sits Fortress Investment Group — the firm that managed New Media Investment Group through the 2019 merger that created today’s company — which is itself owned by SoftBank of Japan.
From a colorful hotel newspaper mocked by critics in 1982 to a 181-million-visitor digital platform in 2026 — USA Today has reinvented itself more times than almost any media brand in American history. And it is still going.
