Thomson Reuters has agreed to sell a 51 per cent stake in its Global Print business to private equity firm KKR for approximately US$500 million, as the Toronto-based information services company sharpens its focus on digital products and artificial intelligence.
Under the deal announced Tuesday, Thomson Reuters and KKR will establish a joint venture with an exclusive licence to distribute the company’s content through print and digital books. Thomson Reuters will retain a 49 per cent interest in the business, along with its intellectual property rights and editorial control over its content portfolio.
The Global Print division provides legal and tax information to customers worldwide through print and digital book formats. It also offers commercial printing services to book publishers.
The business generated $490 million in revenue last year, but sales are expected to decline annually as customers increasingly shift toward online products.
The transaction is expected to allow Thomson Reuters to concentrate more heavily on its three core business segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, and Tax and Accounting Professionals.
Thomson Reuters CEO Steve Hasker said the partnership would provide the Global Print business with focused investment, operational expertise and greater independence as a standalone operation.
Hasker also said the deal would sharpen the company’s focus on developing fiduciary-grade AI solutions for the legal, tax, audit and compliance sectors.
KKR, one of the world’s largest private equity firms, has expanded its presence in media and publishing by acquiring businesses divested by larger companies seeking to prioritize faster-growing digital operations.
As part of the agreement, Thomson Reuters will provide certain financial support that could guarantee KKR a minimum return on its joint venture investment under specific circumstances.
Thomson Reuters, the parent company of Reuters News, expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.
