Finnish publisher Sanoma will combine two of its free dailies, Metro and Uutislehti 100, and today will continue operating them under Metro, which will see its circulation increase by 50 percent, Newspaper Innovation reported Monday.

The new combined paper will have about 400,000 readers.

Uutislehti 100 was launched in April 1997 by Janton Oyj, which sold the free daily to Sanoma in 2004. Metro International sold Metro Finland to Sanoma in 2006. Both Metro and Uutislehti 100 were part of Sanoma's free dailies and weeklies group, Sanoma Kaupunkilehdet Oy, according to Newspaper Innovation.

Uutislehti 100 had about 300,000 readers, and Metro reached the 375,000 mark in 2007. “Overlapping readership must be substantial,” Newspaper Innovation reported.