(source: Sme)
Ringier Axel Springer Media is strengthening its position in online publishing and is getting rid of its activities in the print media sector in Slovakia. It is selling its portfolio of printed magazines as well the best-selling daily Nový Čas and is acquiring websites dedicated to news, cars and real estate.
“We are selling our daily and printed magazines with the aim of highlighting our portfolio as the leading digital publishing house in Slovakia even further,” said Milan Dubec, executive director of Ringier Axel Springer Media Slovakia as cited by the TASR newswire.
They are selling the most popular daily in Slovakia, the tabloid Nový Čas, the weekly Nový Čas Nedeľa and their online versions to FPD Media which belongs to the FPD group of businessman Anton Siekel.
“We have been analyzing the media market in Slovakia, which has been heading towards gradual consolidation, for more than four years,” said Peter Šveda of FPD. “We assume that in the following years the number of publishing and media houses in Slovakia will decrease. We perceive the acquisition of the Nový Čas daily and other media as an exceptional investment opportunity.”
Its aim is to keep Nový Čas as the market leader.
Ringier Axel Springer Media is also selling their remaining printed magazines including Nový Čas pre ženy, Život, Eva, Geo and Auto Bild to News and Media Holding (NMH) from the Penta group.
They are now in the process of acquiring the websites Autobazar.eu and TopReality.sk publishing classifieds for cars and real estate from their founders Michal Obeda and Marek Grajcarík.
Moreover, they are taking over the news website Aktuálne.sk from NMH. It will merge with Aktuality.sk run by Ringier Axel Springer Media.
The price of any of the transactions has not been revealed. They should be completed later this year or in 2018.
“The Autobazar.eu, TopReality.sk and Aktuálne.sk websites fit perfectly into our portfolio and prove the consistency of the fulfilment of our strategy,” said Dubec.
With this extensive reorganisation of its portfolio in Slovakia Ringier Axel Springer Media is underlining its determination to become a leading digital publishing house in central and eastern Europe.
“Our new portfolio in Slovakia is completely digital and provides diverse opportunities between the sector of digital publishing, digital advertisement and digital commercial activities such as Pokec and Bistro.sk,” said Mark Dekan, executive director of Ringier Axel Springer Media AG. “I am convinced that this is an excellent setting that will enable further healthy growth of our business in Slovakia.”
Ringier Axel Springer Media Slovakia is the biggest multimedia publishing house in Slovakia. Since mid-2016, when it merged with Azet.sk, it has been the biggest operator of internet content in Slovakia. It employs more than 800 people in Bratislava, Žilina and Košice. It is part of the Swiss-German publishing group Ringier Axel Springer Media AG.
Disclaimer: Penta financial group has a 40-percent share in Petit Press, the co-owner of The Slovak Spectator.
