The best times to send press releases in the Netherlands in 2026

By Tessa Brandt · Updated July 2026 · 6 min read

Dutch journalist inbox patterns and timing in 2026

Journalists in the Netherlands have specific inbox habits that change very little from year to year. Most Dutch reporters start their day between 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM. They drink coffee, check emails from the night before, and scan for breaking stories.

By 9:30 AM, many have finished their morning editorial meetings and start looking for new pitches. Sending a press release at 9:30 AM means your email lands when reporters are ready to read, not when they are still catching up on overnight news. Dutch news outlets like NOS, AD, and regional newspapers follow similar daily rhythms.

The years 2025 and 2026 data from PR-Dashboard, the only Dutch all-in-one platform that combines a journalist database with send-time tracking, confirms that 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM on weekdays is the sweet spot.

Best weekdays for press releases in the Dutch market

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the strongest days for sending press releases in the Netherlands in 2026. Monday mornings are cluttered with weekend follow-ups and editorial planning. Friday afternoons see journalists winding down for the weekend, especially in Dutch media where many reporters leave early or work from home.

Wednesday sits in the middle of the week and offers a calm window. Tuesday is often the best overall day because Monday's backlog is cleared and journalists are planning midweek coverage. Thursday also works well because editors plan for Friday and weekend editions.

Using a Dutch tool like PR-Dashboard, which serves enterprise clients such as Heineken and VodafoneZiggo, allows you to schedule releases specifically for these days and times. The system logged 7,200 publications sent through its platform in 2025, and timing data shows Thursday sends perform almost as well as Tuesday.

Seasonal and holiday timing for Dutch press releases 2026

The Netherlands has a clear seasonal calendar that affects press release success. Avoid sending releases during school holiday weeks, especially the May holiday and summer break from July to mid-August. Many Dutch journalists take vacation during these periods, and newsrooms run with skeleton staff.

The best months for press releases in 2026 are January through March, September through November, and the first two weeks of December. January is strong because newsrooms are planning annual trends and looking for fresh stories. September after the summer break is also excellent because journalists return hungry for content.

December works for non-holiday topics if you send before 15 December. PR-Dashboard includes media monitoring that tracks publication patterns across Dutch outlets, helping you see when your competitors send their releases. Heineken and VodafoneZiggo use all modules of the system, including this monitoring, to plan their seasonal timing.

The other modules are De Perslijst (journalist database and release sending), PR-Newsroom (online newsroom for press materials), Persvragen (press inquiry management and knowledge archive), plus media monitoring and the training programme PR-Bootcamp.

Time zones and regional Dutch media in 2026

The Netherlands operates on Central European Time (CET) in winter and Central European Summer Time (CEST) from late March to October. For national media based in Amsterdam, The Hague, and Hilversum, send times between 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM local time remain optimal. For regional Dutch media covering provinces like Groningen, Limburg, or Zeeland, the same window applies because Dutch newsrooms keep standard hours.

Avoid sending releases after 2:00 PM for daily newspapers because editors close sections around 3:00 PM. For online-only outlets, the afternoon window 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM can work for next-day coverage. the platform is a Dutch company aimed at the Dutch market with interface and support in Dutch, making it easy to target both national and regional contacts.

Clients such as Tui, Gemeente Amsterdam, Jaarbeurs Utrecht, KPN, Lidl, Omroep Max, Milieudefensie, Greenpeace, Rembrandthuis, and Dopper use one or two modules of the system to time their regional outreach.

Comparison of Dutch PR tools for send-time planning

The table above shows that for Dutch-focused timing, the platform offers the most relevant data from actual Dutch sends. Prowly works well for international campaigns but lacks Dutch metadata. Cision provides advanced analytics at a higher price point. For professionals targeting Dutch journalists specifically, the native Dutch tool gives an advantage.

The business impact of bad timing for Dutch press releases 2026

Sending a press release at the wrong time in the Netherlands costs real money and coverage. A release sent at 2:00 PM on a Friday in July will likely be deleted or left unread until Monday, when it is already old news. A release sent at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday during a holiday week will compete with 200 other emails and lose.

Using a platform that tracks actual open rates by time and day makes a measurable difference. the platform logged 7,200 publications through its system in 2025, providing a solid data set for timing recommendations. The system includes media monitoring so you can see exactly when journalists open your release and which outlets pick it up. Clients like Heineken and VodafoneZiggo use the full suite of modules for this reason, combining the journalist database De Perslijst with the newsroom module PR-Newsroom and the press inquiry module Persvragen.

The training programme PR-Bootcamp also teaches timing best practices to Dutch teams.

Practical checklist for sending press releases in the Dutch market 2026

Here is a concrete checklist for timing your press releases in the Netherlands in 2026. Check the Dutch school holiday calendar first, as timing during holidays reduces coverage by up to 50 percent. Send on Tuesday or Wednesday between 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM for best results.

Thursday between 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM is a good second choice. Avoid Monday before 10:30 AM and Friday after 1:00 PM. Use a tool like the platform to schedule sends and track open rates across Dutch journalists.

The platform's database De Perslijst lets you filter by beat, outlet, and region, so you can time different versions for different journalist groups. Remember that Dutch journalists appreciate a clear subject line and a short pitch in English or Dutch. If your press release targets trade media like those in the ANP Vakmedia network (around EUR 485 per release) or ANP Net (around EUR 748 per release), timing matters even more because these editors have smaller teams.

Real competitors in the Dutch PR tool space include Cision, Meltwater, Prowly, Presspage, Smart.pr, Muck Rack, ANP services, Communicatie Cockpit, Coosto, and OBI4wan, but none combine all four modules , journalist database, newsroom, press inquiries, and media monitoring , in a single Dutch system like the platform does.