What Schibsted does

Schibsted ASA is a publicly listed Nordic media company headquartered in Oslo, founded in 1839 and operating with approximately 6,900 employees across Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Following its 8 June 2024 separation from the former group's marketplace and growth/investment divisions, Schibsted operates as a stand-alone media house under ticker SPO on the Oslo Stock Exchange, anchored by a portfolio of heritage news brands (VG, Aftonbladet, Aftenposten, Svenska Dagbladet, Bergens Tidende, Stavanger Aftenblad, E24, Omni) plus acquired broadcast and audio assets (TV4, MTV Finland acquired in 2025, Podme, Aftonbladet Radio launching August 2026). Its core technology stack spans editorial content management, video streaming (VGTV with 2,000+ live events in 2026, MTV Katsomo), podcast distribution, and the proprietary Videofy AI tool that auto-converts articles to short-form video and was released as open source on GitHub in March 2026.

The business operates a dual-revenue model combining advertising and subscriptions across consumer readers and B2B advertisers. Advertising revenue is monetised through Schibsted Marketing Services, which sells digital display, video, and (from 2026) national FM/DAB audio inventory across the combined Schibsted-TV4 portfolio reaching nine in ten people in Sweden; this stream competes directly with global ad-tech platforms (Google, Meta, Amazon) in a European digital ad market forecast at USD 165.1B in 2025. Subscription revenue spans digital news subscriptions across flagship titles (SvD grew digital subscribers from 103,000 to 135,000 in one year), the 200,000-subscriber Podme podcast platform, and MTV Katsomo streaming. The Schibsted Ad Choices product (39-49 SEK/month) introduces a paid alternative to consent-based personalised advertising, addressing an estimated NOK 400-500M annual revenue exposure to stricter consent regulation. The company's strategic motion is multi-pronged: B2C subscription services for news and audio, B2B sales-led advertising services, and self-serve marketplace operations through subsidiaries including HomeQ (Swedish long-term rentals, +67% revenue growth in 2023), AutoVex (Finnish used-car auctions, ~330% YoY revenue growth, ~EUR 350M GMV), 3byggetilbud.dk (Danish skilled trades), and Inzpire.me (Norwegian influencer marketing).

Name

Schibsted

Legal name

Schibsted ASA

Website

https://schibsted.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1839

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Schibsted is a publicly listed Nordic media company headquartered in Oslo, operating leading news brands (VG, Aftonbladet, Aftenposten, TV4, MTV) across Norway, Sweden, and Finland, monetised through digital advertising, news and podcast subscriptions, streaming, and vertical marketplace subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital News Media

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (513120), Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Syndication, Distribution & Rights Management Platforms (BPAMAJAN)

Keywords

• Digital news media
• Online publishing
• Streaming services
• Podcast subscriptions
• Digital advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising revenue: Digital advertising across Schibsted's portfolio of news sites, streaming platforms, and radio channels. Includes display advertising, video advertising, and programmatic audio. Schibsted and TV4 combined reach nine out of ten people in Sweden. The company competes with global platforms (Google, Meta, Amazon) and European broadcasters in the fragmented digital ad market.
2. Subscription/Reader revenue: Digital subscription services for news content across VG, Aftonbladet, Aftenposten, Svenska Dagbladet, and other titles. Schibsted Ad Choices offers paid alternative (49 SEK/month non-subscribers, 39 SEK/month subscribers) to consent-based data usage for personalized advertising.
3. Podcast subscription: Podme premium podcast subscription service with 200,000 paying subscribers in Norway, offering exclusive and original podcast content.
4. Streaming/Pay-TV: MTV Katsomo streaming service combining C More and MTV content, plus pay-TV channels in Finland. Includes MTV3, MTV Sub, MTV Ava free-to-air channels and subscription streaming.
5. Marketplace/Transaction fees: Online classifieds and marketplace operations through FINN.no (Norway), blocket.se (Sweden), tori.fi (Finland), and other platforms. AutoVex used car auction platform with approximately EUR 350 million in cars sold.
6. Real estate services: HomeQ Swedish long-term rental platform expansion within real estate services vertical.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schibsted is a Nordic media company that produces and distributes editorial journalism, TV and streaming video, podcasts, and commercial radio across Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Its portfolio of news brands (VG, Aftonbladet, Aftenposten, Svenska Dagbladet, Bergens Tidende, E24, Stavanger Aftenblad, Omni), TV operations (TV4 and MTV), podcast platform (Podme), and advertising sales organization (Schibsted Marketing Services) generate revenue through digital subscriptions, advertising, and streaming fees. The company also operates online classifieds and marketplaces (FINN.no, blocket.se, tori.fi, AutoVex, HomeQ, 3byggetilbud.dk). Following its June 2024 separation, Schibsted became a stand-alone media company while retaining a portfolio of marketplace subsidiaries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VG: Norway's leading news brand and video streaming platform (VGTV); broadcasts live sports with over 2,000 live events in 2026.
• Aftonbladet
• TV4
• Aftenposten
• Svenska Dagbladet (SvD)
• MTV
• Bergens Tidende
• E24
• Stavanger Aftenblad
• Omni
• Podme
• Videofy

Products and services

• VG Norway's leading news brand and video streaming platform, broadcasting live sports with over 2,000 live events planned for VGTV subscribers in 2026. Combines daily news, sports coverage, and on-demand video.
• Aftonbladet Sweden's largest news media house, including Sportbladet and digital subscription services, and the operator of Aftonbladet Radio, a national commercial news-driven radio channel.
• Aftonbladet Radio Sweden's first commercial news-driven radio channel with national FM coverage complemented by DAB and digital distribution, combining live journalism with sport, entertainment, and music for advertisers seeking national reach and audiences aged 25-55.
• Aftenposten Norway's leading newspaper, including Aftenposten Junior, known for documentary podcasts and journalism awards.
• Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) Swedish national newspaper known for the Blenda documentary podcast series and digital subscriber growth (from 103,000 to 135,000 in one year).
• TV4 Swedish television channel and streaming service whose digital properties (tv4.se, Fotbollskanalen, K\u00f6ket) are integrated into Schibsted's display and video advertising portfolio.
• MTV (Oy Mainos-TV-Reklam Ab) Finland's leading commercial TV broadcasting and streaming company, including MTV Katsomo streaming service, free-to-air channels MTV3, MTV Sub, MTV Ava, MTV Uutiset news, MTV Urheilu sports, and pay-TV channels.
• MTV Katsomo Finnish streaming service combining C More and MTV content, complemented by free-to-air channels MTV3, MTV Sub, MTV Ava and pay-TV subscription streaming for Finnish viewers.
• Podme Premium podcast subscription platform with 200,000 paying subscribers in Norway, distributing exclusive podcasts from Schibsted's media brands (VGTV, VG, Aftenposten) plus Norway's most popular entertainment podcasts; news and current affairs content accounts for over 60% of monthly listening.
• Schibsted Marketing Services Schibsted's internal B2B advertising sales organization handling digital display, video, and programmatic audio advertising across all Schibsted brands in Norway and Sweden; took over TV4 advertising technology and operations in 2026.
• Schibsted Ad Choices Subscription-based alternative for users to opt out of consent-based personalized advertising, priced at 49 SEK/month for non-subscribers and 39 SEK/month for existing news subscribers, addressing GDPR consent requirements that could otherwise reduce advertising revenue by NOK 400-500 million annually.
• HomeQ Swedish platform for long-term residential rentals acquired by Schibsted in February 2024 to expand its real estate services vertical; reported 67% revenue growth in 2023.
• AutoVex Finnish used car online auction platform acquired by Schibsted in December 2022; revenues increased approximately 330% YoY as of Q3 2022 with nearly 20,000 cars sold worth approximately EUR 350 million.
• 3byggetilbud.dk Denmark's largest online marketplace for skilled trades, operational since 2000, connecting building project advertisers with tradespeople.
• FINN.no Norwegian online classifieds platform operating within Schibsted's marketplace operations for classifieds and e-commerce transactions.
• blocket.se Swedish online classifieds platform operating within Schibsted's marketplace operations for classifieds and e-commerce transactions.
• tori.fi Finnish online classifieds platform operating within Schibsted's marketplace operations for classifieds and e-commerce transactions.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Norwegian Football FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Broadcasting rights deal securing rights to the entire Norwegian Cup for both women's and men's football, plus matches involving youth national teams. Rights period runs from 2029 to 2034. Combined with VG's strong reach and regional newspapers, this creates unique position to reach wide audience while strengthening local engagement.
• EstercareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Healthtech partnership providing employees in Sweden and Norway with access to Estercare's digital platform for women's health support, including preventive health services, digital assessments, specialist consultations, and educational materials for employees and managers. Builds on previous pilot project exploring proactive support and earlier diagnosis to improve well-being and reduce sick leave.
• TV4coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Joint digital advertising partnership integrating TV4's digital properties (tv4.se, Fotbollskanalen, Köket) into Schibsted's display and video advertising portfolio. Schibsted takes over advertising technology and operations for these sites, creating combined digital reach of nine out of ten people in Sweden. First campaigns to go live May 4, 2026.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Axel Springer: German-headquartered European media company operating news brands (Bild, Welt), classifieds (StepStone, Idealista), and digital subscriptions. Direct peer given similar digital subscription strategy, classifieds presence, and transition from legacy publishing to digital subscription + advertising.
• Sanoma: Finnish media and learning company operating newspapers, magazines, TV, and digital services in the Nordics and Netherlands. Direct peer given overlapping Nordic footprint, multi-platform media model, and subscription + advertising revenue mix comparable to Schibsted's.
• Bonnier Group: Swedish family-owned media conglomerate with newspapers, magazines, books, and film/TV. Direct peer given Swedish/Nordic geographic overlap, comparable portfolio of editorial brands, and historical context as prior owner of MTV Finland.
• Egmont: Danish media foundation operating newspapers, magazines, books, and film/TV across the Nordics. Direct peer given Nordic multi-country presence, diversified editorial + entertainment model, and overlap in magazine and digital subscription offerings.
• Amedia: Norwegian media group operating local and regional newspapers plus digital subscriptions. Direct peer as Norway's leading local-news subscription operator, directly competing with Schibsted's Aftenposten in the Norwegian subscription market.
• Aller Media: Nordic media publisher of magazines, newspapers, and digital media. Comparable given overlapping Nordic editorial footprint, multi-brand magazine and digital subscription strategy, and advertising sales overlap with Schibsted Marketing Services.
• Viaplay Group: Nordic streaming and TV operator competing directly with MTV Katsomo and TV4 in Nordic markets. Comparable given subscription streaming + pay-TV model, Nordic sports rights competition (incl. football), and shared premium content + sports strategy.

Emerging players

• Storytel: Nordic audiobook and e-book streaming subscription service with strong audio/podcast adjacency. Comparable as a Nordic subscription-driven media platform competing for consumer audio time and recurring revenue, intersecting with Podme.
• POLITICO Media Group: European digital news subscription leader (Politico Europe, Axel Springer owned). Comparable given B2B/B2C digital subscription model, premium news positioning, and European expansion strategy Schibsted is pursuing with IN/LAB and brand-journalism products.

Broad incumbents

• Spotify: Swedish-founded global audio streaming platform with significant podcast investments. Comparable given Schibsted's podcast expansion via Podme and competition for Nordic audio advertising budgets and listener attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SchibstedGroup
• GitHubgithub.com/schibsted
• Facebookfacebook.com/173757662663
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/11935
• Instagraminstagram.com/schibsted

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A27 records

Investments20 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schibsted