Blick
Blick is a Swiss digital news portal owned by Ringier AG, delivering German and French-language news, sports, politics, economy, and entertainment to Swiss consumers via web, mobile apps, E-Paper, podcasts, and newsletters, with a hybrid subscription (Blick+) and advertising business model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Blick does
Blick is a Swiss national news portal and digital media property founded in 1954 and owned by Ringier AG, one of Switzerland's largest traditional media conglomerates. Headquartered in Zürich with a workforce of 251–500 employees, Blick operates as a direct-to-consumer digital news platform serving Swiss consumers in both German (blick.ch) and French (blick.ch/fr), making it one of the most widely read news portals in German-speaking Switzerland. The company covers national and international news, politics, economy, sports (with particular emphasis on Swiss football and hockey), entertainment, lifestyle, and digital culture.
The core technology stack is a web-based multi-language news portal with native mobile applications on iOS and Android, video integration, a podcast platform, E-Paper digital editions, and a topic-based newsletter distribution system. The product portfolio extends well beyond editorial content to include the Blick+ premium subscription tier, E-Paper digital editions (Blick and SonntagsBlick), themed podcast series, a browser-based casual games suite (Blick Spiele), gamified prediction games (WM-Tippspiel), a reader-reporter submission program (Leserreporter) paying 50 francs per published contribution, short-form video (Blick Bites), and personalization features (Follow My Team). The platform also incorporates AI features including a text-to-speech chatbot.
Blick's business model is a hybrid freemium framework combining recurring subscription revenue (Blick+ premium and E-Paper) with advertising revenue (display, sponsored content, and the Blick Brand Studio). The core news product is freely accessible, while premium content, ad-free reading, and digital editions require paid subscriptions. Distribution occurs through owned digital channels — website, mobile apps, E-Paper, email newsletters, and active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube — with marketing also leveraging organic SEO, newsletters, and community reader programs. No revenue figures, customer counts, or pricing tiers are publicly disclosed.
Blick firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blick
- Legal name
- Blick
- Website
- https://blick.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Blick is a Swiss digital news portal owned by Ringier AG, delivering German and French-language news, sports, politics, economy, and entertainment to Swiss consumers via web, mobile apps, E-Paper, podcasts, and newsletters, with a hybrid subscription (Blick+) and advertising business model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blick industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online News & Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ)
Keywords
Where Blick is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blick business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Digital Subscriptions: Blick+ premium subscriptions and E-Paper digital editions provide recurring subscription revenue from readers seeking ad-free and premium content.
- Advertising: Display advertising, sponsored content, and brand studio partnerships generate advertising revenue. The platform serves as a marketplace for advertisers seeking Swiss audience reach.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Blick+ Premium Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Blick product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blick operates a Swiss digital news portal delivering real-time news, sports coverage, politics, economy, people, digital, society, lifestyle, and video content in German and French languages. Its commercial offerings include the Blick+ premium subscription and E-Paper digital editions of the Blick and SonntagsBlick newspapers, alongside original podcast series and an online games suite (Blick Spiele). The portal is supported by display advertising, sponsored content via the Blick Brand Studio, and topic-based email newsletters.
Product overview
Blick is a Swiss national news portal operated by Ringier AG, offering a multi-section news platform in German and French. The core offering is the Blick news portal covering Switzerland, international news, sports, politics, economy, people, digital, society, and lifestyle. The product portfolio includes the premium subscription service Blick+, the E-Paper digital edition, themed podcasts, an online games suite (Spiele), topic-based newsletters, a World Cup prediction game, reader-reporter submissions, competitions, and a Follow My Team personalization feature. The portal also features short-form video content (Blick Bites) and regional/cantonal news subsections across all Swiss cantons.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Blick+: Premium subscription service offering exclusive news content and features
Products and services
- Blick News Portal (German)
- Blick News Portal (French)
Companies that use Blick
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Blick technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Blick partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Blick competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 20 Minuten: Switzerland's largest free tabloid news portal with broad German- and French-language coverage. Direct competitor in Swiss digital news, competing for the same German-speaking and Romandie audiences with a similar digital-first, ad-supported model and a 20 Minuten Newsnetz partner network.
- Tages-Anzeiger: Major Swiss German-language newspaper operated by Tamedia (TX Group). Direct competitor in premium Swiss news and subscription digital publishing, particularly for in-depth political, economic, and Zurich-focused coverage that overlaps with Blick's verticals.
- Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ): Swiss national newspaper of record with a strong digital subscription model and broad German-language reach. Comparable to Blick as a top-tier Swiss news brand pursuing paid digital reader revenue, though positioned more upmarket on quality/business journalism.
- Watson: Swiss German-language digital-native news portal operated by Tamedia. Competes directly with Blick for online news consumption in Switzerland with a free, ad-supported model, social-friendly format, and aggregated lifestyle/entertainment content.
- Aargauer Zeitung: Regional Swiss German-language news outlet within the CH Media network. Comparable as a competing Swiss news brand with subscription model, sports coverage, and regional/departmental editorial structure that overlaps Blick's cantonal coverage footprint.
- 24 heures: Major French-language Swiss newspaper serving the Vaud region and broader Romandie. Direct comparable to Blick's French edition for news, sports, and lifestyle coverage targeting French-speaking Swiss consumers.
- Le Matin: Leading French-language Swiss tabloid news outlet. Comparable to Blick as a Romandie-targeted, mass-market digital news competitor with similar pop-culture, sports, and political coverage.
Broad incumbents
- SRF (Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen): Switzerland's main public-service broadcaster operating news, TV, radio, and online across German, French, Italian, and Romansh. Comparable as a national multimedia news competitor in all Swiss language regions and a major alternative for news, sports, and video consumption.
- Bild: Germany's largest tabloid newspaper and digital news brand, owned by Axel Springer. Strongly comparable as a mass-market, celebrity-, sports-, and scandal-driven digital news operation with paid digital subscriptions (Bild+) targeting German-speaking audiences adjacent to Blick's DACH footprint.
Others
- Blick TV: Blick's owned streaming and live-news video product, not a peer but a sister surface. Included as adjacent context for Blick's video distribution strategy rather than a competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Blick social profiles
Digital presenceBlick financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blick leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Blick subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Blick funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blick M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blick
What does Blick do?
Blick operates a Swiss digital news portal delivering real-time news, sports coverage, politics, economy, people, digital, society, lifestyle, and video content in German and French languages. Its commercial offerings include the Blick+ premium subscription and E-Paper digital editions of the Blick and SonntagsBlick newspapers, alongside original podcast series and an online games suite (Blick Spiele). The portal is supported by display advertising, sponsored content via the Blick Brand Studio, and topic-based email newsletters.
Is Blick a public or private company?
Blick is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Blick founded?
Blick was founded in 1954. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Blick based?
Blick is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Blick make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising.
Who are Blick's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 20 Minuten, Tages-Anzeiger, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Watson, Aargauer Zeitung, 24 heures and Le Matin. Broad incumbents are SRF (Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen) and Bild. Blick TV is listed as an others.
Does Blick have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blick.
What industry is Blick in?
Blick's product category is Online News & Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAJ, Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C). Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 7310.