Olympia-Verlag

What Olympia-Verlag does

Olympia-Verlag GmbH is a privately held German media company headquartered in Nuremberg, founded in 1946 and best known as the operator of the kicker brand, Germany's largest sports media property, which has covered football since 1920. The company operates two core brands: kicker, a multi-format sports media platform spanning print publications (kicker magazine, kicker Sonderhefte), digital properties (kicker.de, the kicker app), video content, podcasts, and social media; and ALPIN, an alpine lifestyle magazine covering mountaineering, skiing, and outdoor activities, including the ALPIN+ paid digital offering.

The company's technology stack centers on a sports media platform combining print, digital, video, audio, and social content across football, handball, basketball, American football, and ice hockey verticals, with proprietary assets including 60+ years of Bundesliga data and archival footage, the registered Torjägerkanone® amateur football award, and the recently acquired Gool player market value algorithm. Owned-and-operated video production has expanded materially with a dedicated kicker WM-Studio in Winston-Salem for FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage and an in-house Nürnberg studio. Olympia-Verlag has built a multi-sport vertical portfolio through kicker sportsworld GmbH comprising handball-world.news, basketball-world.news, football-world.news, and Eishockey NEWS, plus subsidiary brands kicker eSport, kicker Kids, kicker Plus (kicker+), Quarter Media (programmatic advertising, acquired 2021), and the B2B venture arm kicker ventures GmbH (established 2024).

Olympia-Verlag generates revenue through diversified streams: advertising and branded content sold via kicker marketing solutions (formerly kicker business solutions) to enterprise advertisers; recurring print and digital subscriptions (kicker+ and ALPIN+); content licensing and media rights partnerships with Deutsche Telekom and DAZN; event and award activations including the Torjägerkanone für alle and eFootballer des Jahres programs (often sponsored by Volkswagen); eCommerce through the kicker shop; and emerging revenue from kicker ventures investments. The customer base is hybrid, serving German-speaking football and multi-sport fans as primary consumers, alongside enterprise B2B customers comprising automotive, telecommunications, sportswear, financial services, and sports federation advertisers. The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer digital and print distribution with an enterprise field sales team for advertising and branded content.

Name

Olympia-Verlag

Legal name

Olympia Verlag GmbH

Website

https://olympia-verlag.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Olympia-Verlag is a privately held Nuremberg-based media company that publishes the kicker brand, Germany's largest sports media property, across print, digital, video, audio, and social channels, serving German-speaking sports fans and enterprise advertisers with multi-sport coverage spanning football, handball, basketball, American football, and ice hockey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Media Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Advertising Agencies (54181), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship & Sports Media Rights Buying (MPAAABAO), B2B Sports Digital Syndication & White-Label Streaming Services (MPAKAOAJ)

Keywords

• Sports media publishing
• Digital news platforms
• Magazine publishing
• Sports journalism
• Multimedia advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Nuremberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising and marketing solutions: kicker marketing solutions sells multimedia advertising packages to brands and advertisers across kicker's print, digital, social, video, and audio channels. Includes branded content, sponsored segments, and campaign activations.
2. Digital subscriptions (kicker+): Paid digital subscription offering kicker+ providing exclusive content, premium articles, and ad-free access to kicker's digital platforms.
3. Print publications: Sale of print magazines including kicker magazine, kicker Sonderheft (annual season preview), ALPIN magazine, and special editions such as the FIFA WM Sonderheft and Super Bowl special publication.
4. Content licensing and media rights: Licensing of highlight clips, archival footage, Bundesliga Collection content, and video rights packages to partners such as Deutsche Telekom, DAZN, and other media outlets.
5. Event and award activations: Revenue from branded events including the Torjägerkanone für alle award ceremony, eFootballer des Jahres award, and Sportfoto des Jahres competition, often with brand sponsors such as Volkswagen.
6. eCommerce and merchandise: Sale of kicker merchandise, eSport trikot sales, and special products through the kicker shop.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Olympia-Verlag publishes the kicker sports media brand (print magazine, kicker.de website, kicker mobile app, kicker+ digital subscription) and the ALPIN alpine lifestyle magazine, complemented by multi-sport vertical portals (handball-world.news, basketball-world.news, football-world.news, Eishockey NEWS). The company sells multimedia advertising and branded content to brand advertisers through kicker marketing solutions, licenses video highlights and archival footage to streaming partners, runs the kicker eSport division and kicker Kids children's content brand, and operates kicker ventures as its B2B investment arm.

Product overview

Olympia-Verlag operates as a multi-brand sports media company with two core brands (kicker and ALPIN) and a growing portfolio of sport-specific sub-brands under kicker sportsworld GmbH. The company offers an integrated platform combining print publications, digital platforms (website and app), video content, audio/podcasts, and interactive features including fantasy games. The portfolio spans football (core kicker brand), handball, basketball, American football, ice hockey, and alpine sports. The company has expanded through acquisitions (handball-world.news, Quarter Media, football was my first love) and organic launches (basketball-world.news, football-world.news, Eishockey NEWS). Additional revenue streams include marketing solutions, corporate venture activities (kicker ventures), and subscription services (kicker Plus, ALPIN+).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• kicker: Flagship sports media brand of Olympia-Verlag, covering football (Bundesliga, Champions League, national teams) and other sports including handball, basketball, American football, and ice hockey. Includes kicker.de, the kicker app, print publications, video content, podcasts, and eSport operations. Founded 1920.
• ALPIN
• handball-world.news
• basketball-world.news
• football-world.news
• Eishockey NEWS
• kicker business solutions
• kicker ventures
• kicker Plus (kicker+)
• kicker eSport
• kicker Kids

Products and services

• kicker (print magazine and brand) Germany's largest sports media brand covering football (Bundesliga, Champions League, Europa League, World Cup, European Championship) and adjacent sports, distributed via print subscriptions and single-copy sales.
• ALPIN magazine Alpine and outdoor lifestyle magazine covering mountaineering, skiing, and outdoor activities with print editions, product tests, travel tips, and destination guides for mountain enthusiasts.
• kicker.de / kicker App Multi-platform digital sports media offering live scores, match statistics, news articles, video content, podcasts, fantasy manager games, eFootball coverage, and social media integration.
• kicker Plus (kicker+) Paid digital subscription providing exclusive content, premium articles, multimedia reports, enhanced statistics, and ad-free access to kicker's digital platforms.
• ALPIN+ Paid media offering expanding the ALPIN alpine content world with subscription-based access to premium alpine lifestyle content.
• handball-world.news Handball sports portal operated under kicker sportsworld covering Bundesliga, Champions League, and amateur handball with game reports, statistics, video highlights, and the German Handball Awards.
• basketball-world.news Basketball sports portal launched as part of kicker sportsworld, covering professional and amateur basketball with news, statistics, and video highlights in Germany and internationally.
• football-world.news American football sports portal covering NFL, ELF, and GFL, with strategic cooperation for NFL highlights as part of kicker sportsworld's vertical expansion.
• Eishockey NEWS Ice hockey sports news portal operated under kicker sportsworld as part of the multi-sport verticalization strategy, covering professional and amateur ice hockey.
• kicker eSport Competitive gaming and eSports division of kicker covering eFootball, including the annual 'kicker eFootballer des Jahres' award, tournament coverage, and partnership with Virtual Bundesliga.
• kicker Kids Children's content initiative including the 'Die Zauberkicker' book series with Kosmos Verlag, audio adventures with USM, youth-focused editorial content, and football camps.
• kicker Sonderhefte (special issues) Special issue print publications including annual season preview magazines, tournament specials, FIFA WM Sonderheft, and the Topps-partnered Super Bowl special publication.
• kicker marketing solutions (formerly kicker business solutions) B2B advertising and branded content service selling multimedia advertising packages, brand storytelling campaigns, green media offerings, and sponsorship activations across kicker's print, digital, video, social, and event channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95 million video views in May 2026; over 800 million page impressions during Bundesliga endspurt
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZalandocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 June 2026Presenting sponsor of 'Spotlight DFB – die kicker WM-Show powered by Zalando', a flagship kicker WM video show produced in Winston-Salem during FIFA World Cup 2026.
• football-world.newsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2025American football portal launched as part of kicker sportsworld vertical strategy. Covers NFL, ELF, and GFL. Strategic cooperation with NFL secured for highlight content.
• Eishockey NEWSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2025Strategic cooperation for Eishockey NEWS as part of the kicker sportsworld vertical expansion into ice hockey coverage.
• DAZNcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2024Strategic alliance covering content partnerships, joint marketing, and cross-promotion. Joint podcast 'kicker meets DAZN' with hosts Matthias Dersch and Mario Krischel. Shared media partnership for various sports events.
• ALPS (alpine magazine)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2024Acquisition expanding Olympia-Verlag's portfolio with an alpine lifestyle magazine, broadening beyond football into mountain sports journalism.
• handball-world.newscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2023Portal acquired by Olympia-Verlag in September 2023. handball-world.news is a brand of kicker sportsworld GmbH, providing 24/7 handball coverage from amateur level to Champions League. Produces German Handball Awards and the print magazine 'Bock auf Handball'.
• Ringier Sports Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2023Joint venture RSMG kicker Schweiz AG formed in August 2025 (approved October 2025) for market expansion and reach monetization in Switzerland. Operative start planned for autumn 2025.
• Football was my first LoveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2023Audio platform acquired by Olympia-Verlag in March 2023, expanding the company's audio/podcast content offerings in football.
• Deutsche TelekomcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for highlight clip distribution on kicker.de and in the kicker app during FIFA WM 2026. Deutsche Telekom provides exclusive content packages while kicker serves as a distribution and content platform for MagentaTV coverage.
• VolkswagencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Route26 video series 'Route26 – unser Weg zur WM powered by VW'. Volkswagen also sponsors the Torjägerkanone für alle amateur football award initiative and the EM manager game with Indeed.
• DFB (Deutscher Fußball-Bund) / FUSSBALL.DEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Torjägerkanone für alle award, DFB-Pokal highlight rights, and EM manager game. The DFB and kicker co-produce collector's albums (EM 2024 with Ferrero and DFB) and FUSSBALL.DE serves as the amateur football platform for the Torjägerkanone award.
• KOSMOS VerlagminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublishing cooperation for kicker Kids book series 'Die Zauberkicker', bringing football adventure stories to children through the Kosmos publishing house.
• BCN (Burda Creative Network)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for marketing and distribution of Olympia-Verlag's print portfolio through BCN's network.
• Ferrero ( sticker album)GTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for EM 2024 sticker collector album, co-produced by kicker, Ferrero, and DFB, bringing the sticker collectible to market.
• USM (Audio books)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperation with USM to bring kicker Kids audio adventure stories to CD and streaming platforms.
• Quarter MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive marketing contract with Quarter Media for DACH region. Quarter Media handles sales marketing for LiveScore in the DACH region.
• ToppsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for kicker Super Bowl special publication and collectible products. Topps and kicker collaborated on the 'Faszination Super Bowl' Sonderheft.
• Bergische KrankenkasseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth cooperation with kicker eSport for the Gesundheitstalk (health talk) live stream series, promoting health awareness among gaming communities.
• NFL (via strategic cooperation)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic cooperation securing NFL highlight rights for kicker and football-world.news platforms, covering NFL games and related content.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sky Deutschland: Holds core Bundesliga broadcast rights in DACH and operates Sky Sport News HD; competes with kicker for advertising share of football fans and is a recurring rightsholder/partner counterparty in the German sports media stack.
• DAZN: Global sports streaming service with Bundesliga and Champions League rights; both a kicker partner ('kicker meets DAZN' podcast) and a competitor for ad-supported sports video audience and highlight distribution in DACH.
• Hubert Burda Media (BCN): Major German media conglomerate whose BCN unit already distributes Olympia-Verlag's print portfolio; competes broadly in magazine publishing and advertising sales while remaining a channel partner.

Direct peers

• Axel Springer SE: Germany's largest digital publisher, owner of BILD and Sport Bild, the largest paid print sports title in Germany and the most direct print and digital competitor to kicker across Bundesliga and transfer coverage.
• Sport1 (Sport1 Media): Germany's primary sports TV channel and digital sports portal, competing head-to-head with kicker on Bundesliga highlights, video content, and multi-sport coverage including American football and eSports.
• Marca: Spain's flagship sports daily; comparable business model (print + digital + video daily sports coverage) and category leadership that mirrors kicker's position in Germany.
• L'Équipe: France's leading sports daily, with print, web, app, video and TV-channel operations; one of the closest international analogues to kicker's integrated multi-format sports media model.
• Gazzetta dello Sport: Italy's dominant sports daily (part of RCS MediaGroup), the print-digital-video flagship in Italy that closely parallels kicker's category ownership in Germany.

Emerging players

• Ringier Sports Media Group: Swiss-headquartered sports media group and Olympia-Verlag's JV partner in RSMG kicker Schweiz AG; a comparable international sports media operator and a direct collaborative peer in adjacent DACH markets.
• Spox.com (Statista/Apfinity): Digital-first German sports news portal targeting Bundesliga fans; a niche but direct online competitor to kicker.de for football SEO traffic and ad inventory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/olympiaverlag
• Facebookfacebook.com/kicker.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/olympia-verlag-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/kicker
• TikToktiktok.com/@kicker
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kicker

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Olympia-Verlag