Stuttgarter Zeitung

What Stuttgarter Zeitung does

Stuttgarter Zeitung Verlagsgesellschaft mbH is a privately held German regional newspaper publisher headquartered at Plieninger Straße 150, 70567 Stuttgart, operating the Stuttgarter Zeitung daily newspaper and a network of wholly-owned regional titles including Esslinger Zeitung, Böblinger Bote, Leonberger Kreiszeitung and Cannstatter Zeitung. The company covers Stuttgart, all 23 Stadtbezirke (districts), surrounding Landkreise (Böblingen, Esslingen, Göppingen, Ludwigsburg, Rems-Murr), and the broader Baden-Württemberg state, primarily serving German-speaking general news consumers in the Stuttgart metropolitan area.

The product portfolio is centered on the print+digital daily newspaper and includes a web-based E-Paper (Digitale Zeitung), native iOS and Android applications (StZ News-App), and a premium subscription tier, StZ Plus, for paywalled exclusive content. Supporting engagement features include podcasts (e.g., the RAF-Podcast), email newsletters, a video Mediathek, a Games/Rätsel section with casual puzzle content, and thematic sub-brands such as StZ Extra and the Gesund leben health forum. The company also operates community sports events including the annual EZ Fußballpokal and EZ Handballpokal tournaments.

Monetization is anchored in three revenue streams: recurring subscription revenue from print, digital E-Paper and StZ Plus plans (billed annually or monthly); advertising and classifieds revenue across display ads, the Stellenmarkt job marketplace, the Immomarkt real estate portal, and obituary placements; and event/tournament sponsorship through the EZ sports properties. Distribution is regional, combining home-delivered print, the E-Paper platform, self-serve online subscription, and field sales for enterprise/institutional clients. The firm employs 251–500 people and is led by Geschäftsführer Tilo Schelsky and Herbert Dachs; no external parent, private equity or venture capital backing is identified in the available data.

Name

Stuttgarter Zeitung

Legal name

Stuttgarter Zeitung Verlagsgesellschaft mbH

Website

https://stuttgarter-zeitung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Stuttgarter Zeitung is a German regional newspaper publisher serving Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg through print, E-Paper, mobile apps and premium subscriptions. It monetizes via subscriber fees, classifieds, and community sports event sponsorship through wholly-owned regional editions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Regional newspaper
• Digital news subscription
• Local journalism
• Classified advertising
• Premium content

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Paid subscriptions for print and digital (e-paper) newspaper editions, with tiered plans including access to premium content (StZ Plus). Revenue is recurring in nature, generated through direct sales and self-serve channels.
2. Advertising Revenue: Display advertising, classifieds, job market listings (Stellenmarkt), real estate marketplace (Immomarkt), and obituary/trauer portal placements generate advertising income.
3. Event and Tournament Sponsorship: Organized community sports events including EZ-Fußballpokal and EZ-Handballpokal, which generate sponsorship revenue and reinforce local brand engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stuttgarter Zeitung is a German regional daily newspaper delivering local and regional news coverage for Stuttgart and the broader Baden-Württemberg region across print, digital e-paper, and mobile app platforms. Its product portfolio is anchored on subscription-based access to news, complemented by premium content (StZ Plus), podcasts, newsletters, classifieds (jobs and real estate marketplaces), and community sports tournaments organized via its regional sub-brand editions.

Product overview

Stuttgarter Zeitung is a regional daily newspaper published by Stuttgarter Zeitung Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, serving the Stuttgart metropolitan area and broader Baden-Württemberg region. The company operates a multi-platform media portfolio centered on its core print and digital newspaper products. The core offering consists of the Stuttgarter Zeitung (print and digital editions) providing comprehensive coverage of local news, politics, economy, sports, culture, and regional community content. Digital products include the E-Paper (Digitale Zeitung) accessible via web browser, and native mobile applications (StZ News-App) for iOS and Android. Premium subscribers access exclusive content through the StZ Plus subscription tier. Supporting content features include Podcasts, Newsletters, a Mediathek with video content, and a Games/Rätsel section with puzzle and casual gaming offerings. The company also operates specialized sub-brands including the Gesund leben health forum and regional sports event coverages such as the EZ Fußballpokal and EZ Handballpokal tournaments. Classified services include job listings (Stellenmarkt), business directories (Jobs und Firmen), and real estate marketplaces (Immomarkt). The publication maintains a network of regional editions including Esslinger Zeitung, Cannstatter Zeitung, and Leonberger Kreiszeitung, providing hyperlocal coverage across the Stuttgart metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StZ Extra: Premium subscription content section offering specialized editorial features
• StZ Plus
• EZ Fußballpokal
• EZ Handballpokal
• Gesund leben Forum

Products and services

• Stuttgarter Zeitung (Print & Digital) Regional daily newspaper providing local news coverage for Stuttgart and surrounding Baden-Württemberg region, including politics, economy, sports, culture, and community reporting, available in print and digital editions.
• Digitale Zeitung / E-Paper

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Volksbank Mittlerer NeckarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolksbank Mittlerer Neckar supports the EZ-Handballpokal as a sponsor, contributing to the regional community sports event organized by Stuttgarter Zeitung's Esslingen edition. The partnership provides marketing visibility and brand association with the annual tradition tournament.
• Karl ScharpfminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKarl Scharpf supports the EZ-Handballpokal as a sponsor, contributing to the annual handball tradition tournament organized by the Esslingen edition of Stuttgarter Zeitung.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Heilbronner Stimme: Regional daily newspaper based in Heilbronn, also within Baden-Württemberg and adjacent to the Stuttgart economic region. Operates a comparable subscription, advertising and digital platform model serving a neighboring German sub-market.
• Mannheimer Morgen: Regional daily newspaper for Mannheim and the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan area in Baden-Württemberg, sharing the same private German regional press model of print+digital subscriptions, classifieds and local event sponsorship.
• Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung: Regional daily newspaper for Heidelberg and the Rhine-Neckar region, also in Baden-Württemberg. Operates the same print+digital subscription model, classifieds and local community content focus as a peer regional German newspaper.

Direct peers

• Badische Zeitung: Regional daily newspaper for Freiburg and the Upper Rhine region of Baden-Württemberg, with the same print+digital subscription model, local classifieds (jobs, real estate) and community sports coverage as Stuttgarter Zeitung.
• Berliner Morgenpost: Berlin-based regional daily newspaper with print+digital subscriptions, classifieds and local event coverage under a comparable German regional newspaper publishing model, though serving a different metro geography.
• Augsburger Allgemeine: Large Bavarian regional daily newspaper operating print, digital edition, e-paper, classifieds and regional sub-editions - a structurally analogous privately-held German regional newspaper publisher.
• Stuttgarter Nachrichten: Direct head-to-head competitor in the Stuttgart metropolitan market, publishing a regional daily newspaper with overlapping coverage of Stuttgart politics, VfB Stuttgart sports and Baden-Württemberg regional news for the same subscriber and advertiser base.
• Nürnberger Zeitung: Regional newspaper group in Nuremberg/Franconia with print+digital subscriptions, local classifieds and community sports coverage, operating as a comparable private German regional newspaper publisher of similar scale.

Broad incumbents

• Süddeutsche Zeitung: Germany's largest quality regional newspaper, based in Munich. Comparable subscription-based digital/print newspaper model with national reach, premium paywall (SZ Plus) and broad editorial coverage that competes for German-speaking digital subscribers beyond any single region.
• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Major German national/regional newspaper with FAZ Plus digital subscription, classified marketplaces and a similar multi-product print+digital+events business model serving a wealthy German metropolitan audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/StuttgarterZeitungStuttgarterNachrichten
• Facebookfacebook.com/stuttgarterzeitung
• Instagraminstagram.com/stuttgarterzeitung
• Xx.com/StZ_NEWS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stuttgarter-zeitung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Stuttgarter Zeitung