This switch to free distribution comes after the arrival of two successful Chinese freesheets introduced by the same parent company, Sing Tao News Corp. Both lead their free paper markets, with Headline Daily distributing 700,000 copies on weekdays and the Express Post distributing over 300,000 copies on weekends.

According to Sing Tao chief executive Lo Wing-hung, The Standard can break even with 12 to 18 months if no competitors enter the free paper market. If another player did arrive though, The Standard would double its circulation – a strategy which proved effective for Headline Daily.

"There is a worldwide trend towards free tabloid newspapers that deliver news in an easy-to-read, lively and no-nonsense style," said Charles Ho Tsu-kwok, chairman of Sing Tao News Corp, which owns The Standard.

Just as much as this trend towards freesheets is newspapers’ response to the need for a new business model, it is also a reflection of the new type of content they can offer to the general public.

Source: The Standard through Newspaper Innovation