VGN Medien Holding

What VGN Medien Holding does

VGN Medien Holding GmbH is Austria's leading magazine publisher, founded in 1992 in Vienna and operating a multi-brand portfolio across print, digital, video, events, and corporate publishing channels. The company publishes nine core magazine brands (NEWS, trend, TV-MEDIA, WOMAN, GUSTO, autorevue, Yachtrevue, e-media, and WOMAN Balance) spanning news, business, entertainment, women's lifestyle, culinary, automotive, technology, and nautical categories. Its 1998-founded digital subsidiary VGN Digital operates 11+ web portals including news.at, woman.at, trend.at, and gusto.at, reaching 1.367 million unique digital users monthly with 18.172 million page impressions in Q1 2022. The group holds 28.7% share of the Austrian magazine segment and reaches 1.6–1.7 million readers across its full portfolio.

The business model is diversified across B2C print and digital subscriptions (TV-MEDIA alone has 106,253 paid subscribers growing 13% YoY), advertising sales across print and digital properties, corporate publishing services for enterprise clients (OMV, philoro, WW Österreich, Merkur Versicherung, Bank Austria, Ford), branded live events, and an emerging live-streaming commerce channel (WOMAN LIVE Shopping, launched April 2023). Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales for B2B advertisers, subscription-based product-led growth for consumers via the readers Lounge e-paper app, and event-driven community engagement (WOMAN Day, WOMAN Balance events, Advent calendars reaching 860,000+ participants). In-house capabilities include VGN Creation (creative agency), VGN Videoproduktion (video production), and full-service corporate publishing.

VGN is privately held and majority-controlled by DDr. Horst Pirker through I-MAG Beteiligungen GmbH, which holds 74.7% via Verlagsgruppe News Beteiligungsgesellschaft m.b.H. & Co. KG; the Fellner family holds indirect stakes through Medienbeteiligungen Privatstiftung. Recent strategic activity includes the May 2023 acquisition of Austrian tech/startup media platform Der Brutkasten, the October 2023 launch of business women's magazine WOMAN Elevate, the March 2023 rebrand of Lust aufs LEBEN into WOMAN Balance, and the December 2021 launch of TV-MEDIA³ as Austria's first streaming-inclusive TV magazine. The company has not publicly disclosed revenue or headcount.

Name

VGN Medien Holding

Legal name

VGN Medien Holding GmbH

Website

https://vgn.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

VGN Medien Holding is Austria's leading magazine publisher, operating nine print brands and 11+ digital portals reaching 1.6 million readers with 28.7% market share. It serves consumers via subscriptions and B2B clients through corporate publishing, advertising, events, and live commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO), Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF), Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines (MPAJAEAL), Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD)

Keywords

• Magazine publishing
• Print media
• Digital publishing
• Media advertising
• News magazines

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Magazine Sales: Subscription and single-copy sales of magazines including News, trend, TV-MEDIA, WOMAN, GUSTO, autorevue, Yachtrevue, e-media and Lust aufs Leben. Revenue from both B2C subscriptions and newsstand sales. Digital e-paper editions available through readers Lounge app.
2. Advertising Sales: Print and digital advertising space sales across all magazine brands and online portals. Includes standard advertising, special advertising formats (Ad-Specials), sponsored content, and branded partnerships. VGN Digital sells digital advertising across news.at, woman.at, gusto.at and other portals.
3. Corporate Publishing: Custom magazine and content creation services for corporate clients including OMV, philoro, WW Österreich, fair-finance Vorsorgekasse, Merkur Versicherung, and others. Creates customer magazines, employee publications, and marketing campaigns with associated branding and distribution.
4. Event Marketing: Branded live events and experiences generating revenue through partner sponsorships, ticket sales, and brand activations. WOMAN Balance events, WOMAN Day shopping events, Advent calendars, and live shopping shows create premium B2B partnership opportunities.
5. B2B Packages: Specialized advertising and content packages for B2B clients including digital marketing services, video production, Augmented Reality advertising, and regional advertising solutions. VGN Creation provides in-house creative agency services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

VGN Medien Holding is Austria's leading magazine publisher, founded in 1992 with the launch of NEWS. The group operates a portfolio of established news, business, women's, lifestyle, automotive, TV, yachting, and digital media magazine brands distributed in print and online, monetized through reader subscriptions and newsstand sales, advertising, corporate publishing, and live events.

Product overview

VGN Medien Holding is Austria's leading magazine publisher operating a portfolio of print magazines and digital platforms. The core offering consists of nine magazine brands (NEWS, autorevue, Gusto, trend, TV-MEDIA, WOMAN, Yachtrevue, e-media, and Lust aufs LEBEN/WOMAN Balance) covering news, automotive, culinary, business, entertainment, women's lifestyle, nautical, and technology topics. These are complemented by digital subsidiaries (VGN Digital managing 11 web portals), in-house video production services, creative agency services (VGN Creation), and corporate publishing for external clients. The company also operates digital products including WOMAN LIVE Shopping (live streaming commerce), the readers Lounge e-paper app, and newsletter platforms reaching over 300,000 subscribers. The portfolio serves both B2C readers and B2B advertising clients through integrated cross-media campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NEWS magazine Flagship Austrian news weekly magazine published by VGN Medien Holding since 1992, providing weekly news, politics, and current-affairs editorial content for Austrian readers in print and digital formats.
• trend Austrian business and economics magazine covering corporate, financial, and economic news, produced by Trend Redaktion GmbH within the VGN portfolio.
• WOMAN Austrian women's interest magazine covering fashion, lifestyle, relationships, and culture, produced by Woman GmbH & Co KG.
• Gusto Austrian lifestyle and food magazine covering cuisine, gastronomy, and living, produced by Gusto GmbH & Co KG.
• autorevue Austrian automotive magazine covering cars, mobility, and motor culture for enthusiast readers and the automotive advertising market.
• TV-MEDIA Austrian TV listing and entertainment magazine providing programme schedules, television editorial, and entertainment coverage.
• Yachtrevue Austrian yachting and boating magazine covering sailing, motor yachts, and nautical lifestyle for enthusiast readers.
• e-media Austrian trade publication covering the digital media, marketing, and communications industry for professional readers.
• Lust aufs LEBEN / WOMAN Balance Health, wellness, and balanced-lifestyle magazine brand within the VGN portfolio targeting women interested in mindful living.
• VGN Digital Group-level digital publishing platform and subsidiary (VGN Digital GmbH) that operates the online properties, digital editions, and digital audience products for the VGN magazine brands.
• Corporate publishing services Custom content and corporate publishing services sold to corporate clients, leveraging VGN's editorial capabilities and brand environments.
• Events Live events and event-marketing activities operated by VGN Medien Holding, extending audience engagement and advertiser value beyond print and digital.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28.7% market share in Austrian magazine segment
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IP Österreich (inspoworld)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2023RTL's Austrian marketing subsidiary powering WOMAN LIVE Shopping interactive e-commerce channel. inspoworld provides B2C brand activation platform enabling real-time shopping during live video shows. Partnership enables WOMAN to offer unique interactive shopping experience combining inspiration, infotainment and commerce.
• Ottoversand.atminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2023Austrian online retailer participating in WOMAN LIVE Shopping launch as fashion/lifestyle brand partner. Otto brought spring fashion including jeans, bold colors, and home furnishings from LeGer Home by Lena Gercke for live shopping demonstration.
• Kate GrayminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2023Austrian fashion designer bringing extravagant bags and accessories to WOMAN LIVE Shopping. High-quality, creative designs representing Austrian craftsmanship.
• JonesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2023Fashion brand featuring elegant cuts and versatile colors suitable for office to everyday wear. Partnered with WOMAN LIVE Shopping for spring collection showcase.
• Spiegel Online (Der Spiegel)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2013Since 2013, VGN Digital exclusively markets Austrian traffic for Germany's leading news site spiegel.de. Adds significant reach and communication channels to VGN Digital's partner offerings.
• Wald4LebencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiodiversity reforestation initiative in Waldviertel, Austria. trend. magazine partners to offer advertisers 'naturalimpact' CSR seal. Each advertising contribution plants trees (50 trees = 200 sqm mixed forest, 100 sqm flower meadow) with trend adding 40 sqm additional forest per contribution. Proceeds 100% to local NGO.
• Österreichischer Golf-VerbandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVGN Digital markets golf.at portal traffic (50+ million page impressions annually) for Austria's golf federation. Reaching affluent, mobile, sports-oriented audience.
• StatistacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMarket research company partnering with trend. magazine for annual 'Top 300 Arbeitgeber Österreichs' (Best Employers) ranking. Seventh consecutive year in 2023.
• kununucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEurope's largest employer rating platform partnering with trend. and Statista for annual best employers ranking in Austria.
• Bank AustriacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUniCredit Bank Austria partnered with VGN for Private Banking campaign targeting high-net-worth clients. VGN implemented comprehensive strategy reaching economically interested audience.
• FordcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLongstanding partnership with autorevue for Racing Rookie casting competition to find promising motorsport talents. 19th consecutive year in 2022.
• ÖAMTCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAustrian automobile club co-sponsoring Racing Rookie motorsport talent search with autorevue and Ford.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Bauer Media Group: One of Europe's largest consumer magazine publishers, operating hundreds of titles across lifestyle, entertainment, and women's segments globally. Closely comparable multi-title consumer magazine strategy at a much larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Hubert Burda Media: German family-owned media company publishing Bunte, Focus, and a large portfolio of consumer magazines plus digital media. Closely comparable multi-genre consumer magazine strategy with a strong digital transformation track record.
• Axel Springer: Major German media company operating Bild, Welt, and Business Insider with a heavy digital pivot. Operates in the same DACH media market with a comparable (though much larger) transition from print to integrated digital media.
• Gruner + Jahr (RTL Group): German magazine publisher behind Stern, Brigitte, and Geo, owned by RTL Group. Comparable consumer magazine portfolio and digital pivot, with strong women-lifestyle brands that compete with WOMAN in cross-border DACH ad buys.
• Funke Mediengruppe: Major German regional newspaper and magazine publisher with extensive print portfolio and digital operations. Comparable multi-title publishing business model at a larger scale, competing for the same DACH advertising budgets as VGN.

Direct peers

• Mondadori Group: Italy's leading magazine and book publisher (Panorama, Grazia, Donna Moderna, Chi). Closely comparable multi-title consumer magazine strategy with significant digital and corporate publishing operations in Southern Europe.
• Styria Media Group: Austrian media group operating newspapers (Die Presse, Kleine Zeitung), magazines, and digital verticals. Comparable diversified print+digital+B2B publishing model in the same DACH geography, with overlapping advertiser and corporate publishing client base.
• Sanoma: Finland-headquartered media group with strong magazine portfolio (news, lifestyle, women's titles) plus digital learning and media operations. Comparable multi-genre consumer magazine strategy with successful digital and learning extensions.
• Mediaprint Zeitungs- und Zeitschriftenverlag: Austrian publisher of Kronen Zeitung, Kurier, and related print and digital titles. Most direct domestic peer — competes for the same Austrian readers, advertisers, and newsstand shelf space, with comparable subscription and ad-revenue model.

Emerging players

• Kosmopolis (Aufbruch in die neue Zeit) / Der Brutkasten: Austrian digital media startup focused on business and tech content, recently acquired by VGN. Adjacent Austrian digital media player that demonstrates VGN's own M&A and digital-extension strategy in the home market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vgn_medien_holding

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 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 VGN Medien Holding