Digital upswing: newspapers in Germany ensure stable revenues

stability despite the challenges: the economic situation of the German newspapers in 2023

Berlin (ots)

In 2023, the German newspaper landscape was shaped by a mixture of challenges and successes. The current report by the Federal Association of Digital Publisher and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) provides insights into the developments in the newspaper market, especially in the area of ​​digital sales. Despite a decline in the traditional print business, the overall economy could be kept stable, which is a remarkable performance for the industry.

digital sales set positive accents

One of the most striking developments was the increase in digital sales, especially due to the popularity of e-paper. This form of digital reading generated almost 500 million euros in 2023, which represents an increase of almost 21 percent compared to the previous year. In addition, sales in areas such as paid content and online advertisements rose by 14 percent to 823 million euros. Overall, the digital sales of the newspapers were increased to around 1.32 billion euros, which brought the industry over the symbolic million limit in the past two years.

sales income stabilize the industry

Despite a slight decline in revenue in the core business, two percent to 6.68 billion euros must be emphasized in sales. The sales sales remained almost constant at 5.02 billion euros. This is due to measures such as price increases that were able to partially cushion the effects of falling requirements. The reader market contributed significantly to the total income in 2023, which underlines the trend towards digital use.

outlook in a changing year 2024

BDZV expects the challenges in the print area as well as continuing growth in digital business for 2024. According to the annual trend survey, a decline in subscription numbers is projected by seven percent, while the number of e-paper subscriptions is expected to increase by 16 percent. This shows the increasing acceptance of digital offers among readers and emphasizes the need for publishers.

important actors and their role

The report was made by Dr. Dieter Keller, a long -time journalist who worked for the "Südwest Presse" until his retirement in the summer of 2022. He was supported by Christian Eggert, the head of the publishing house at BDZV, which is significantly involved in the annual sales determination.

The essential results illustrate that despite a significant structural change in the industry, publication of newspapers continues to play an important role in the reader market. In Germany, over 12.64 million newspapers are sold every day, with the daily newspapers having the largest share.

FAZIT

The publication of the BDZV report on the economic situation of the newspapers clearly shows that the German newspaper industry performed a remarkable balancing act in 2023. Success in the digital area could be the key to long -term stabilization of the industry, while the challenges in the print business have to be taken seriously. The adaptability of the publishers will be decisive in order to remain relevant in the future.

Read the full report on the BDZV homepage, where a PDF version including tables is also available.