German media group Axel Springer’s online revenue grew 38.6 percent through 2007 to 221.7 million euros and now makes up 8.6 percent of all group revenue. The group publishes the Bild.de and Die Welt newspapers/websites, has a majority stake in women’s portal auFeminin and operates a number of special-interest sites including Wall Street Online. CEO Dr. Mathias Döpfner: “We want to achieve a new dimension in the development of the company through the digitisation of our operations.”
What Springer calls “digital media” (including TV and radio as well as web) saw six-fold revenue increases to 152.3 million after acquiring auFeminin for 284 million euros, web marketer Zanox for 215 million euros, retailer Idealo and Smarthouse.
Overall revenue rose 8.5 percent to 2.57 billion euros though, after acquisitions, it was up 1.2 percent. Earnings were up 12.5 percent to 375 million euros. Advertising revenue was up 14.6 percent to 1.2 billion euros (rather bucking the trend) of flat/moderate growth) and circulation was up 1.8 percent. The Welt Group recorded its first ever profit