Newsquest has joined forces with local media publishers to launch an innovative digital advertising platform.

The owner of the Herald & Times Group has teamed up with publishers including Local World and Johnston Press to create 1XL.

The collaboration, which officially launches today, will allow advertisers to run a campaign seamlessly across more than 800 local UK news sites, which show more than 50,000 articles a week, and will give media buyers access to an audience of 17.5m monthly unique users.

It will be run by a dedicated media sales team at national sales house Mediaforce Group.

Henry Faure Walker, Chief Executive of Newsquest, said: "This is a significant step forward for Newsquest and our industry. Through 1XL, national advertisers will now be able to run one campaign seamlessly across 800 local news sites across the UK.

"Online display advertising is now worth over £2 billion per annum, a market hitherto dominated by the likes of Google and Facebook.

"We look forward to local news publishers, with the huge investment they make in quality content and local journalism, being able to take their rightful share."

For more information visit www.1xl.co.uk