Newspaper Publishing in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
Frankfurt, Germany
Last Updated: June 2024
WZ J58.13DERevenue
€11.5bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
€XXX.Xm
Employees
65,237
Businesses
854
Wages
€X.Xbn
Newspaper Publishing in Germany industry analysis
In the last five years, the circulation of printed newspapers and the advertising revenues of newspaper publishers have fallen significantly. Due to the rapid transition from print to digital media, the industry's traditional business model has become much less viable. As a result, industry revenue has fallen by an average of 1.8 % per year since 2019. Adapting to the conditions and requirements of the online market is still a challenge for many newspaper publishers. In 2020, the economic uncertainty for companies caused by the coronavirus pandemic had an additional negative impact on the advertising market and therefore also on newspaper publishers' advertising revenue. The advertising market has since recovered, but newspaper publishers' revenue is still expected to fall by 2.7% to EUR 11.5 billion in 2024, as consumers are cutting back on non-essential items such as buying newspapers first due to the rise in the price of most consumer goods. < />The industry is characterised by increasing digitalisation and the resulting changes in readers' information procurement behaviour. On the one hand, technological progress is increasing competition from outside the industry through free information offerings from online platforms, social media and other providers. On the other hand, more and more readers are taking out digital subscriptions to newspapers, which is increasingly shifting publishers' sales from print newspapers to digital offerings. Advertising and adverts such as job vacancies and property listings are also increasingly being placed digitally instead of in print media. The leading industry players, most of whom are part of large media groups, have largely adapted to this development and often operate their own online job exchanges and property platforms. The proportion of revenue generated by publishers through adverts and advertising is declining, as the market leaders in particular and, to a lesser extent, the small publishers of regional daily newspapers are benefiting from the larger online offering. Publishers can save costs and increase their profitability by reducing print runs, as printing and distribution costs make up a large proportion of the costs incurred in the industry.Growing e-paper circulations, digital advertising revenues and the increasing spread of paid content models offer a ray of hope for the industry, but are also likely to lead to a decline in the number of companies and employees. In the period from 2024 to 2029, the turnover of newspaper publishers is expected to fall by an average of 1.2% per year to 10.9 billion euros.
Trends and Insights
- Sales of print newspapers are continuing to decline. In contrast, digital solutions such as e-paper and paid content offerings are gaining in importance.
- Local and regional newspapers are slow to switch to digital offerings. Regional newspapers, on the other hand, are already generating a significant proportion of their revenues from e-papers and other digital content.
- In an interregional comparison, most newspaper publishers are located in the centre region. This is due to the population density and the high income level in the metropolitan areas.
- Within the industry, newspaper publishers compete with each other primarily on price, the selection of topics and the quality of their content. This competition is increasingly extending to the online offering.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 1.8 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €11.5bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
The advertising business is increasingly shifting to the digital sector
- Newspaper publishers have been struggling for years with falling circulations and declining income from advertising in printed newspapers. The reason for this is the increasing use of the internet by consumers and the intense competition from free online information services.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Laws protect consumers and publishers in the digital media landscape
- In 2017, the German government passed the Network Enforcement Act, which obliges social networks to delete inflammatory and false reports on their platforms. The purpose of this law is to combat the spread of fake news, which will become increasingly important as digitalisation progresses.
Biggest companies in the Newspaper Publishing in Germany
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue (€m)
2024 |
|---|---|---|
Axel Springer SE | 895.4 | |
Südwestdeutsche Medienholding GmbH | 490.7 | |
Funke Mediengruppe GmbH & Co. KGaA | 467.2 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 6 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Local and regional newspapers, National newspapers and Newspapers for sale. Local and regional newspapers is the largest segment of the Newspaper Publishing in Germany.
Trends and Insights
Local and regional newspapers generate most of their revenue from print circulation
- Local and regional newspapers focus their reporting on a specific region in which the newspaper is primarily read.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Book Publishing in Germany
- Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany
- Television Programming & Broadcasting in Germany
- Streaming Services in Germany
Complementors
- Paper & Paperboard Manufacturing in Germany
- Newspaper Printing in Germany
- Printing in Germany
- Newsagents & Stationary Stores in Germany
International industries
- Newspaper Publishing in the US
- Newspaper Publishing in Canada
- Newspaper Publishing in Australia
- Newspaper Publishing in New Zealand
- Newspaper Publishing in the UK
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
The industry is dedicated to the publishing of newspapers and advertising newspapers that appear at least four times a week in printed or electronic form. Magazines, advertising newspapers and other periodicals that are published less than four times a week are not part of this industry.
What's included in this industry?
Local and regional newspapersNational newspapersNewspapers for saleAdvertising newspapersCompanies
Axel Springer SESüdwestdeutsche Medienholding GmbHFunke Mediengruppe GmbH & Co. KGaAPurchase this report to view all 6 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
CROSSMEDIAFAKE NEWSFEUILLETONSUPPLEMENTNEWSPAPER BOOKIndustry Code
WZ 58.13 - Newspaper Publishing in Germany
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Sales of print newspapers are continuing to decline. In contrast, digital solutions such as e-paper and paid content offerings are gaining in importance.
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Local and regional newspapers are slow to switch to digital offerings. Regional newspapers, on the other hand, are already generating a significant proportion of their revenu...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
In an interregional comparison, most newspaper publishers are located in the centre region. This is due to the population density and the high income level in the metropolita...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Within the industry, newspaper publishers compete with each other primarily on price, the selection of topics and the quality of their content. This competition is increasing...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
The Bild newspaper, which belongs to the Axel Springer Group, has the largest readership reach, which is why it remains attractive for advertising customers despite falling sa...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Axel Springer SE's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Südwestdeutsche Medienholding GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Funke Mediengruppe GmbH & Co. KGaA's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 3 additional companies
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Axel Springer SE, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Südwestdeutsche Medienholding GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Funke Mediengruppe GmbH & Co. KGaA, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for 3 additional companies
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
The EU copyright reform is intended to protect publishers from the unauthorised distribution and reproduction of their publications on the internet. However, the upload filte...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
The cost of materials is the largest cost item for newspaper publishers. The rising price of paper as a result of high energy costs and reduced production volumes by paper ma...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Germany include:
- German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
- European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
- United Nations Comtrade
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany in 2024?
The market size of the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany is €11.5bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Newspaper Publishing in Germany industry in 2024?
There are 854 businesses in the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.0 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 1.8 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany is expected to decline.
What are the biggest companies in the Newspaper Publishing market in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Newspaper Publishing market in Germany are Axel Springer SE, Südwestdeutsche Medienholding GmbH and Funke Mediengruppe GmbH & Co. KGaA
What does the Newspaper Publishing in Germany include?
Local and regional newspapers and National newspapers are part of the Newspaper Publishing industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Newspaper Publishing in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in Germany is Axel Springer SE.
How competitive is the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Newspaper Publishing industry in Germany.
