United Internet Media GmbH

What United Internet Media GmbH does

United Internet Media GmbH (UIM) is a German online advertising and dialog marketing specialist, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Montabaur, Germany, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Internet AG. The company functions as the dedicated media sales division for United Internet AG's consumer portal ecosystem — WEB.DE, GMX, and 1&1 — collectively reaching 35 million mailboxes across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. UIM sells display, video, native, and dialog-marketing advertising formats to brand advertisers, dialog marketers, e-commerce brands, media agencies, and regulated-industry clients through a hybrid go-to-market combining direct enterprise sales offices and a self-service Ad Manager platform.

The company's technology stack centers on three proprietary assets: (1) TGP Audiences, a first-party-data targeting technology that leverages portal user data to enable precise audience segmentation without third-party cookie dependency; (2) trustedDialog, a quality standard for inbox-based dialog marketing that ensures deliverability and engagement; and (3) the Ad Manager self-service platform at admanager.uim.de, which allows advertisers to register freely, create campaigns, and access real-time performance tracking. Supporting capabilities include Smart Contextual Targeting, Retargeting Solutions, programmatic deal management, Commerce Media (post-cookie shopping-intent activation), viewability measurement, and the annual Digital Dialog Insights (DDI) industry study conducted in partnership with Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart.

Revenue is generated through advertising — primarily TKP (thousand-contact-price / CPM) based pricing across display, video, native, dialog/email, programmatic, and commerce-media formats — plus data-monetization from first-party audience targeting services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with media data and pricing lists distributed through a download center. Named customers include Manufactum, Orthomol, bonprix, dm-drogerie markt, Sky Deutschland, OTTO, and spusu, served through enterprise sales, agency trading desks, and the Ad Manager self-service channel.

Name

United Internet Media GmbH

Legal name

United Internet Media GmbH

Website

https://united-internet-media.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

United Internet Media GmbH is the dedicated media sales arm of United Internet AG, monetizing Germany's WEB.DE, GMX, and 1&1 portals (35 million mailboxes) through display, video, native, programmatic, and dialog-marketing advertising, serving brand advertisers, dialog marketers, e-commerce brands, and agencies across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Advertising

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital & Programmatic Media Buying (Display, Video, CTV, Audio) (BPAFABAB)

Keywords

• Online advertising
• Dialog marketing
• Programmatic advertising
• Email marketing
• Data targeting

Headquarters

HQ city

Karlsruhe

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Display Advertising: Revenue from standard and premium display advertising formats including banners, rectangles, and skyscrapers placed on WEB.DE, GMX, and 1&1 portals.
2. Video Advertising: Revenue from in-stream video ads (Pre-Roll, Post-Roll, Bumper Ad, Shuffle Roll) and out-stream formats (Watch4Mail, Mobile In-Text Video Ad).
3. Native Advertising: Revenue from native ad formats including Inbox Ad, Editorial Native Teaser, Mobile Video Native Teaser, Branded Content, and Content Hub placements.
4. Dialog & E-Mail Marketing: Revenue from trustedDialog solutions, Vorteilswelt (loyalty rewards), Lead & Cashback campaigns, Digital Flyers, and Direct E-Mail services.
5. Programmatic Advertising: Revenue from programmatic deals including programmatic advertising placements, deal types, and pre-targeted deals with automated buying/selling.
6. Data & Targeting Services: Revenue from audience targeting solutions, prospecting, retargeting, and first-party data activation services.
7. Commerce Media: Revenue from commerce media solutions leveraging commerce data for addressable advertising in the post-cookie era.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

United Internet Media GmbH operates as the advertising sales house for United Internet AG's portfolio of consumer email and portal brands (WEB.DE, GMX, and 1&1). It monetizes a reach of approximately 35 million mailboxes and millions of unique users across its portals by selling display, video, native, dialog/email, programmatic, and commerce media advertising inventory. It also offers data-driven audience targeting solutions and an in-house ad management platform.

Product overview

United Internet Media GmbH operates as an online advertising and dialog marketing specialist, offering an integrated platform of media sales and targeting solutions. The portfolio centers on the Ad Manager self-service platform for programmatic campaign management across WEB.DE and GMX portals (35 million mailboxes), complemented by trustedDialog for email-based dialog marketing with quality standards and KPI reporting. The company provides a comprehensive range of advertising formats including native advertising (Inbox Ad), display advertising (standard, premium, event formats), video advertising (in-stream and out-stream), and commerce media solutions. Data-driven targeting is enabled through TGP Audiences (first-party data targeting), Smart Contextual Targeting, and Retargeting solutions. Supporting services include viewability measurement, brand lift research, and the annual Digital Dialog Insights industry study conducted with Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart. The company serves advertisers in DACH markets through offices in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WEB.DE: Leading German email portal marketed by United Internet Media
• GMX
• 1&1
• Ad Manager
• trustedDialog
• TGP Audiences

Products and services

• Ad Manager In-house ad management platform that enables advertisers and agencies to plan, book, and manage advertising campaigns across United Internet Media's portfolio of email and portal properties (WEB.DE, GMX, 1&1). Targeted at media buyers and advertising agencies.
• trustedDialog Email-based dialog marketing solution that enables advertisers to send commercial messages into the inboxes of WEB.DE and GMX users. Designed for advertisers seeking permission-based direct marketing at scale.
• Inbox Ad Native advertising format delivered within the inbox environment of WEB.DE, GMX, and 1&1 webmail users. Allows advertisers to place branded messages directly in users' email inboxes.
• Programmatic Advertising Programmatic buying of display, video, and native ad inventory across the WEB.DE, GMX, and 1&1 portal network via real-time bidding integrations. Targeted at demand-side platforms, trading desks, and agency buyers.
• TGP Audiences Data-driven audience targeting solution built on United Internet's first-party data, allowing advertisers to reach defined demographic, interest, and intent-based audience segments across the network.
• Commerce Media Commerce-focused advertising offerings that connect retailers and e-commerce advertisers with shopping-intent audiences across the WEB.DE, GMX, and 1&1 network, including product-driven ad formats.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35 million mailboxes reached
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hochschule der Medien StuttgartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual research partnership for the Digital Dialog Insights (DDI) study series. The Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart collaborates with UIM to conduct yearly expert surveys on digital marketing trends, AI adoption, and post-cookie era readiness. This partnership produces the 14th edition of the study in 2025.
• WEB.DEcoreOthersUIM markets the WEB.DE portal - one of Germany's leading email services. WEB.DE provides advertising inventory and first-party user data for targeting capabilities.
• GMXcoreOthersUIM markets the GMX portal - a leading German email service. GMX provides advertising inventory and first-party user data for targeting capabilities.
• 1&1coreOthersUIM markets the 1&1 portal (operated by 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH) - providing additional advertising inventory and audience reach.
• BVDW (Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft)minorOthersGerman digital economy association membership. UIM participates in BVDW activities including the email marketing guide addressing AI agents and email volume challenges.
• IAB EuropeminorOthersIndustry association membership. UIM is registered as a vendor (ID 831) with the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) for GDPR-compliant consent management.
• AGMAminorOthersGerman working group for media analysis participation.
• DDV (Deutscher Dialogmarketing Verband)minorOthersGerman dialog marketing association membership for industry collaboration and standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RTL Ad Alliance (RTL Deutschland): RTL Ad Alliance is the international sales house for RTL Group's broadcast and digital inventory, offering cross-market premium video/display buying — comparable in role to UIM but with broader geography and TV-led portfolio.
• ProSiebenSat.1 Media (SevenOne Media): SevenOne Media is the sales house for ProSiebenSat.1's TV and digital video properties in DACH, selling both linear and digital/video ad formats — overlapping with UIM's video, display and programmatic inventory sales.
• Burda Community Network (BCN): Burda Forward markets advertising across Hubert Burda Media's portfolio of German magazine, news and lifestyle digital properties — overlaps with UIM's German-content display advertising sales.

Direct peers

• The Trade Desk: The Trade Desk is a leading independent DSP for programmatic advertising across display, video, CTV, and audio — competes with UIM's Ad Manager and programmatic deals for advertiser budgets in DACH.
• Taboola: Taboola runs a native content-discovery and advertising platform at large European publishers — comparable to UIM's native advertising and editorial-teaser formats on DACH portals.
• Criteo: Criteo is a global commerce/retail media and retargeting ad-tech platform with significant European footprint — comparable to UIM in retargeting and first-party-data-driven display advertising.
• Outbrain: Outbrain operates a content-discovery native ad network used by premium European publishers — overlapping with UIM's native and content-hub advertising on WEB.DE and GMX.
• Ströer: Ströer is Germany's largest digital out-of-home and online advertising marketer, selling premium display, video and programmatic inventory across web and mobile properties — directly comparable to UIM's role monetizing owned DACH portal inventory.
• InteractiveMedia (CCM Group): InteractiveMedia operates a premium German advertising network and data-driven targeting solutions across multiple verticals — highly comparable to UIM in DACH digital-ad sales and audience targeting.
• Adform: Adform is a European-headquartered full-stack ad-tech platform (DSP/SSP/CMO) offering programmatic, data and creative tools — a direct competitor to UIM's programmatic deals and TGP targeting stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 United Internet Media GmbH