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Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Melanie Katz Melanie Katz Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: July 2024 WZ J58.14DE

Revenue

€6.3bn

2024

€6.3bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€XXX.Xm

Employees

36,227

Businesses

1,951

Wages

€X.Xbn

Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany industry analysis

The companies in this sector produce content for printed and digital magazines as well as associated online offerings. In the period from 2019 to 2024, magazine publishers' revenue fell by an average of 5.7% per year due to continuously declining circulations and falling advertising revenue. As readers are increasingly switching to digital offerings in the wake of digitalisation, demand for print products is declining. Despite the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in magazine sales in railway station bookshops and other outlets, industry revenue is expected to fall by 4.1% to 6.3 billion euros in the current year.Technological progress and the resulting changes in consumer behaviour have been the driving force behind the industry's shift to digital in recent years. As the proportion of the population using the internet to read news and other magazine content has risen sharply in recent years, magazine publishers have adapted their offerings. More and more industry players are publishing online editions alongside their printed magazines, which can be obtained either individually or by subscription. Magazine content is also being supplemented by additional content and products on the Internet. Advertising revenue, which is the main source of income for magazine publishers alongside revenue from magazine sales, is also increasingly being generated through online advertising. This development is intensifying competition on the market, not least due to the extensive digital offerings of other media companies such as television broadcasters and operators of online platforms. < />In view of the expected continued decline in demand for print media and strong competition from outside the industry, IBISWorld expects an average decline in industry revenue of 3.5% per year over the next five years to EUR 5.2 billion in 2029. The ongoing digitalisation of the industry is expected to further reduce the barriers to entry for new market players, which is why there are likely to be new entrants as well as market exits in the coming years. Nevertheless, the number of industry players is expected to decline.

Trends and Insights

  • With the falling sales figures of print media, the advertising revenue of magazine publishers is falling. Advertising revenue is based on the reach of the magazines. The lower the reach, the less profitable the adverts are.
  • Programme guides are currently the top-selling product category in the industry. Their main task is to inform consumers about the current television programme.
  • The Central region is home to the most magazine publishers. The regional distribution of magazine publishers is strongly orientated towards the population distribution. Most magazine publishers are based in North Rhine-Westphalia.
  • There is fierce competition in the industry. Magazine publishers mainly compete with each other on price and reach. Readers are usually prepared to pay a higher price for high-quality magazines in niche markets than for magazines in the mass segment.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 5.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €6.3bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Digitisation is shifting sales from the print to the digital sector

  • Technological change and the resulting increase in the proportion of consumers with internet access has increasingly contributed to a decline in demand for printed books, newspapers and magazines in recent years.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Public media offerings are becoming increasingly competitive

  • The future development of the industry will depend not only on digitalisation, but also on the strength of competition from alternative media and the impact of new data protection guidelines.

Biggest companies in the Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue (€m)
2024
Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG
741.9
Gruner + Jahr Deutschland GmbH
553.0
Hubert Burda Media Holding KG
540.0

To view the market share and analysis for all 5 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Women's magazines, Programme guides and News magazines. Women's magazines is the largest segment of the Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany.

Trends and Insights

Programme guides are primarily used to provide information about the current television programme

  • The product group with the largest share of sales in the industry is TV programme guides. With "Hörzu", "Prisma", "rtv Plus", "TV Digital" and "TV14", five TV programme guides are among the ten top-selling magazines in Germany.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

This sector includes the publishing of magazines, including radio and television magazines, trade journals and encyclopaedias as well as newsletters and other periodicals that are published less than four times a week. Periodicals can be published in both printed and electronic form.

What's included in this industry?

Programme guidesWomen's magazinesNews magazinesSports and motor press

Companies

Heinrich Bauer Verlag KGGruner + Jahr Deutschland GmbHHubert Burda Media Holding KG

Purchase this report to view all 5 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

CIRCULATIONPHABLETPROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISINGPUBLIC MAGAZINEREMISSION

Industry Code

WZ 2008

WZ 58.14 - Magazine & Journal 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

With the falling sales figures of print media, the advertising revenue of magazine publishers is falling. Advertising revenue is based on the reach of the magazines. The lowe...

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

Programme guides are currently the top-selling product category in the industry. Their main task is to inform consumers about the current television programme.

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

The Central region is home to the most magazine publishers. The regional distribution of magazine publishers is strongly orientated towards the population distribution. Most ...

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

There is fierce competition in the industry. Magazine publishers mainly compete with each other on price and reach. Readers are usually prepared to pay a higher price for hig...

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

Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG is the market leader in the women's and TV programme guides segments. The digital offering includes numerous e-papers, e-magazines, apps and online p...

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 Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Gruner + Jahr Deutschland GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Hubert Burda Media Holding KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 2 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Gruner + Jahr Deutschland GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Hubert Burda Media Holding KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 2 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

The increasing level of digitisation is a major challenge for the industry. Although many publishers are now also publishing their content digitally, they are competing with ...

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 industry's profit margin has fallen over the last five years. Digitalisation has reduced advertising and advertising revenue in the print business.

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)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany in 2024?

The market size of the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany is €6.3bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany industry in 2024?

There are 1,951 businesses in the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.3 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 5.7 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Magazine & Journal Publishing market in Germany?

The biggest companies operating in the Magazine & Journal Publishing market in Germany are Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG, Gruner + Jahr Deutschland GmbH and Hubert Burda Media Holding KG

What does the Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany include?

Programme guides and Women's magazines are part of the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Magazine & Journal Publishing in Germany?

The company holding the most market share in Germany is Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG.

How competitive is the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Magazine & Journal Publishing industry in Germany.

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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.