Amedia acquires Berlingske Media from DPG Media

Norwegian media group Amedia has announced the acquisition of Denmark’s Berlingske Media from Belgian media company DPG Media. The deal, announced on Tuesday morning, brings together two major players in the region, with Berlingske Media’s prominent titles, including Berlingske, BT, Weekendavisen, and Euroinvestor, joining Amedia’s extensive portfolio.

Amedia CEO Anders Opdahl emphasised the strategic rationale behind the acquisition, citing the increasingly challenging environment for media companies. “Nordic media companies face tougher global competition and fundamental digital shifts, where we are fighting against technology giants for both revenue and distribution,” Opdahl stated. “In this challenging landscape, closer cooperation is crucial.”

Opdahl highlighted the potential for knowledge exchange and cross-border collaboration, positioning the acquisition as a means to strengthen Amedia’s Norwegian operations while expanding its reach into new target groups in Denmark. “The purchase allows us to export our expertise as a leading media group in digital newspaper development in Europe,” he added.

DPG Media, which has owned Berlingske Media since 2015, acknowledged the need for consolidation in the evolving media market. CEO Christian Van Thillo expressed confidence in the digital transformation achieved by Berlingske Media under DPG’s ownership but stressed the importance of scale to accelerate further development.

“The digital transformation of Berlingske Media’s titles has so far been a great success,” Van Thillo remarked. “But like all media houses, the company needs to belong to something bigger in order to accelerate its development in a challenging market.”

Van Thillo revealed that DPG Media had explored consolidation opportunities with several media groups before selecting Amedia as the ideal partner. He cited Amedia’s strong digital focus and ambition for Nordic expansion as key factors in the decision.

“It turned out that Amedia also saw the need for consolidation, and had a clear ambition to expand its operations in the Nordics,” Van Thillo explained. “After careful assessments, we concluded that Amedia – as a very successful and digitally oriented media group – would be an excellent owner of Berlingske Media, which led to this transaction.”

The acquisition has also garnered support from Amedia’s ownership. André Støylen, chairman of the board of Amedia and general manager of the Amedia Foundation, underscored the importance of Nordic cooperation in navigating the competitive media landscape.

“The Amedia Foundation is fully committed to supporting Amedia in the development of its newspaper portfolio,” Støylen stated. “The purchase of Berlingske Media is a natural next step to secure our position and face the competition from global giants. We believe this transaction will strengthen the newspapers owned by both Amedia and Berlingske Media.”

The acquisition marks a significant consolidation within the Nordic media industry, potentially setting the stage for further collaborations and strategic partnerships as media companies seek to adapt and thrive in the face of digital disruption and global competition.