Amedia to Acquire Berlingske Media from DPG Media

[Oslo, Norway] – Norwegian media group Amedia has acquired the shares in Berlingske Media from the Belgian media group DPG Media. Berlingske Media is a prominent Danish media group that owns the brands Berlingske, B.T., Weekendavisen, and Euroinvestor.

Amedia is Norway's leading publisher of editorial media and an apolitical, foundation-owned media group. Amedia views this acquisition as a strategic opportunity to strengthen its position in the Nordic media market. 

Berlingske Media holds a strong position in Denmark with its historic and reputable news media brands that enjoy a high level of trust, which Amedia intends to preserve and develop.

Anders Opdahl, CEO of Amedia, emphasized the importance of this acquisition: “Nordic media companies face tougher global competition and profound digital shifts, battling tech giants for revenue and distribution. In this challenging landscape, news media's purpose - to foster vibrant democracy through free speech and independent journalism - becomes increasingly difficult to fulfill. That's why I believe closer cooperation is crucial moving forward, making Amedia and Berlingske Media a perfect fit.”

Opdahl added: “We see significant opportunities for cross-border knowledge exchange and synergies. This agreement lets us export our expertise as a front-runner in digital newspaper development. We strengthen our position and Norwegian operations while reaching new audiences and ensuring Berlingske Media's sustainability in Denmark.”

Amedia is committed to fostering a diverse and independent press that serves the public. The media group supports its publications with industry expertise, strong editorial standards, and solid financial backing for a secure future.

DPG Media has owned Berlingske Media since 2015. 

Christian Van Thillo, executive chairman of DPG Media, underscored the choice of Amedia: “The digital transformation of Berlingske Media’s titles has so far been a great success, but like all publishing houses, the company needs more scale in order to accelerate its development in a challenging market. Therefore, we have looked at potential consolidation opportunities and met with several large publishing houses. It turned out that Amedia saw the need for consolidation as well, and had a clear ambition to expand its reach in the Nordics. After careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that Amedia as a highly successful and very digitally oriented publisher, would be a great owner of Berlingske Media, which led to this transaction.”

Van Thillo added: “Although selling such great titles is a difficult and unusual decision for our company, we are convinced that Berlingske Media is in the best possible hands, and that is what really counts for its future development. We want to thank our colleagues at Berlingske Media for ten great years, and wish them all the best.”

Amedia is owned by the foundation Amediastiftelsen, whose purpose is to own media houses, newspapers, and related enterprises. The foundation also supports projects promoting free speech and journalism.

André Støylen, the CEO of Amediastiftelsen and Chairman of the Board in Amedia, underlines the importance of Nordic collaboration. “The Amedia Foundation is fully committed to supporting Amedia in developing its portfolio of newspapers. The purchase of Berlingske Media is a natural step in securing our position and meeting the competition from global giants. We believe this transaction will strengthen the newspapers owned by Amedia and Berlingske Media”. 

Anders Krab-Johansen will continue as CEO of Berlingske Media, ensuring continuity in leadership for the media group.

Anders Opdahl commented: "Anders Krab-Johansen's continued leadership is instrumental in preserving Berlingske Medias excellence and trust while driving innovation. This stability is crucial as we collaborate to strengthen our collective position in the Nordic media market."