(Alliance News) - Smiths News PLC on Tuesday said it has been awarded an additional contract from News UK & Ireland Ltd for the exclusive dispersal of the newspaper publisher's titles across Smiths News's existing London distribution areas.

Shares in Smiths News were trading 5.1% higher at 43.82 pence each in London on Tuesday morning.

Smiths News is a Swindon, England-based newspaper and magazine distributor. News UK is a wholly-owned subsidiary of US media conglomerate News Corp. It owns The Times, The Sunday Times, and The Sun.

Smiths News said the contract is an extension of the five-year deal penned in April, and it will distribute News UK titles through to 2029.

Distribution to Smiths News's 2500 London retailers will begin next month, and will account for around GBP27 million in current sales per year, the distributor said.

"This award will also provide a material economic and operational benefit for the London retailers we currently serve, reducing their overall costs of distribution and removing significant complexity from having two suppliers of newspapers within London", it added.

Chief Executive Officer said: "I am delighted to have reached this extended agreement with News UK. It marks a milestone in our relationship to be distributing News UK titles across our whole network. It is also excellent news for London retailers, reducing costs, removing complexity and making the category much easier to manage on a day-to-day basis. It clearly demonstrates the desire of publishers and wholesalers to promote the long-term sustainability of the newspaper supply chain."

By Sabrina Penty, Alliance News reporter

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