Reach CEO Calls Google AI Deal a Template, Pressures OpenAI Over Scraping

Reach has agreed a two-year deal giving Google paid access to news content from its UK and Ireland portfolio, and the publisher has sent OpenAI a cease-and-desist letter over scraping. CEO Piers North is now positioning the Google agreement as a template for future partnerships with large language model (LLM) companies.

The U.K.-based publisher owns the Daily Express, the Daily Star and OK! Magazine. Under the Google deal, the tech giant can use Reach content in experimental AI features and new ways of delivering news, while the two companies study whether those features actually help engage audiences. Digiday understands the agreement carries a two-year time stamp.

What does this change for publishers watching AI licensing?

It offers a concrete, paid structure rather than a vague promise. Google runs multiple AI pilot programs, including a pay-per-value AI contribution pilot with smaller publishers, and says more than 200 publications globally have now joined its news AI pilot program. It also continues to operate Google News Showcase, its earlier licensing initiative.

That scale matters for practitioners weighing whether to sign. A 200-plus publication program suggests Google is building a repeatable licensing framework, not a one-off experiment — though Reach's deal appears broader in rights and scope than the smaller-publisher pilots.

Official confirmation versus pressure tactics

North's framing separates two distinct tracks. The Google deal is confirmed: paid access, expanded rights, UK and Ireland portfolio, two years. The OpenAI confrontation is escalation: a cease-and-desist letter signals Reach believes its content is being used without compensation, and it wants a deal on similar terms before further action.

There's no word yet on how OpenAI has responded, so treat any claims about imminent litigation or settlement as speculation until the company or Reach confirms them. What's on record is the letter itself and North's public stance.

The practical stakes

For Reach, the calculation is straightforward: its titles depend heavily on search traffic, and AI-generated answers threaten zero-click behavior (users getting information without visiting the source site). A paid licensing deal converts that threat into revenue while the publisher still measures whether AI features drive audience engagement at all.

For other mid-sized publishers, the Reach-Google structure — paid access, defined term, expanded rights, engagement measurement built in — is now a reference point for negotiation. And the OpenAI letter raises the question of whether scraping without a license becomes a legal battleground for publishers that lack Reach's leverage.

Expect more publishers to demand Reach-style terms as the 200-publication pilot program grows, and watch whether OpenAI answers the cease-and-desist with a deal or a fight.