Magazines and media for men in Belgium

In Belgium, men's reading largely runs through general and lifestyle magazines: Humo and Knack in Dutch, Le Vif and Weekend in French, Sabato for L'Echo and De Tijd, plus sports and motoring titles, many of them readable online.

A narrow niche in a small market

The Belgian market, split between French-speaking and Dutch-speaking readers, has rarely allowed exclusively male magazines to last. Several titles launched in the 1990s and 2000s disappeared, leaving the field to newspaper lifestyle supplements and general-interest weeklies.

Humo, Knack and Le Vif: the weeklies men read

Humo, a long-established and popular Flemish weekly, mixes interviews, culture, television and biting humour. Knack and Le Vif, published by Roularta, offer political investigations, economics and culture, with a large male readership without being men's magazines as such.

Reading in French or in Dutch?

Flemish readers have a richer magazine offer, from Humo to Knack Focus, while French speakers readily turn to titles from France. Many people in Brussels read both languages, which widens their choice of lifestyle magazines considerably.

Sabato and the weekend supplements

Sabato, the Saturday supplement of L'Echo and De Tijd, covers watches, gastronomy, travel, design and cars. Weekend Le Vif and Knack Weekend offer fashion and lifestyle, with men's pages devoted to grooming, haircuts and tailored suits.

Podcasts and content creators

Part of the male audience now gets its information from podcasts, YouTube channels and newsletters. Studios in Brussels and Ghent produce shows on sport, entrepreneurship or health, which should be distinguished from influencer content paid for by sports or nutrition brands.

Sport and motoring, the mainstays

Sport/Foot Magazine, DH Les Sports+ and Sporza attract a largely male readership, as do the Moniteur Automobile and AutoGids. Our page on the Belgian car press details these magazines, their road tests, the Brussels Motor Show and the circuits.

Men's health in the public media

Every November, RTBF and VRT relay the Movember campaign on prostate cancer and men's mental health. Their health programmes, available on Auvio and VRT MAX, also cover screening, exercise and the prevention of heart and circulatory disease.

Fatherhood and family leave

Birth leave, extended to twenty days in 2023, prompted many articles in Le Soir, De Morgen and Het Nieuwsblad. Le Ligueur and the family sections of the dailies now give more space to fathers and to sharing household tasks.

Economy, careers and personal finance

Trends Tendances, Trends in Dutch, L'Echo and De Tijd publish advice on careers, investing and taxation. The Belgian financial press attracts retail investors, often men, interested in funds, Belgian shares and pension savings schemes.

Masculinity and social debate

Since the MeToo movement, the Belgian press has more often questioned male role models, harassment and violence. De Morgen, Le Soir and Bruzz have published testimonies and investigations, and prevention associations are regularly invited onto RTBF programmes.

Satire, humour and critical distance

Humo is known for its sharp interviews, and Belgium has several satirical websites. This humorous content circulates widely on social media, where careless readers sometimes share it as if it were genuine news, which spreads confusion.

Subscriptions and single-issue sales

Humo, Knack and Le Vif rely mainly on subscriptions, with some articles free to read. Sabato comes with a subscription to L'Echo or De Tijd, and the digital editions can also be read on Belgian online newsstands.

Following Belgian men's lifestyle media

1. Choose a general-interest weekly, Le Vif in French or Knack and Humo in Dutch, for politics, culture and long interviews.
2. Read Sabato on Saturdays for watches, gastronomy, travel and design.
3. Add a sports outlet such as Sporza or DH Les Sports+ for football, cycling and Formula 1.
4. Follow financial advice from Trends Tendances or L'Echo, always checking the publication date.
5. Listen to RTBF or VRT health programmes, particularly during the Movember campaign.
6. Tell a sponsored influencer recommendation apart from a test carried out by an independent newsroom.

Access to men's and lifestyle media

Reference points for readers of men's media

• Languages: French, Dutch and sometimes German
• Weeklies: Humo, Knack, Le Vif
• Lifestyle supplement: Sabato, with L'Echo and De Tijd
• Special-interest magazines: Sport/Foot Magazine, Moniteur Automobile
• Public broadcasters: RTBF, VRT and BRF
• Currency: euro; time zone: Central European Time

What to avoid when reading these media

• Taking a satirical article shared on social media for real news, especially when it mimics the tone of a well-known weekly.
• Following bodybuilding or supplement advice from a paid influencer without medical advice or a reliable source.
• Believing a fake ad that uses a Belgian magazine's layout to promote a cryptocurrency investment, a very widespread scam.
• Passing on an old article about taxation or pension savings without checking whether the rules have changed since.
• Using sites that bypass Knack or Le Vif paywalls, which often carry malicious advertising.

Questions about men's magazines in Belgium