STERN

Digital News Mediastern.de

STERN is a Hamburg-based, multi-platform German news media brand (founded 1948) operating under G+J Medien GmbH/Bertelsmann. It publishes a weekly print magazine, the stern.de digital portal, podcasts, video, and a premium subscription (stern+) for German-speaking consumers seeking investigative journalism and lifestyle content.

Company typePrivate
Founded1949
HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What STERN does

STERN is a multi-platform German news media brand headquartered in Hamburg, operating since 1948/1949 under G+J Medien GmbH, a subsidiary of Gruner + Jahr within the Bertelsmann conglomerate. The company operates a German-language news portal (stern.de), a weekly print magazine, podcasts (including the investigative 'Sea Story' and true-crime 'stern Crime' series), video content, email newsletters, a dedicated product-comparison service (Kaufkosmos), and free browser-based casual games (spiele.stern.de). Its editorial coverage spans politics, society, panorama, crime, culture, health, sport, travel, family, automotive, and lifestyle, with sub-brands including the crime vertical and the bundled GEO (nature/travel) and Capital (business/finance) magazines.

The business runs a hybrid model combining advertising-supported free content with a freemium premium subscription tier called stern+. The stern+ subscription provides access to exclusive investigative journalism, audio stories, and bundled premium content from GEO and Capital, priced at €1 for a 4-week introductory trial that converts to €2.99/week. Distribution is omnichannel: the website and mobile app serve as the primary direct-to-consumer surface, with additional reach via social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp), podcasts, newsletters, events, and earned media. Print magazine subscriptions are sold through the Abo shop.

STERN's audience is the German-speaking general consumer interested in credible, in-depth journalism and lifestyle content. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, AI/ML capabilities, or M&A activity; it is operated as a strategic brand asset within the Bertelsmann-owned Gruner + Jahr publishing group, leveraging parent-group scale for cross-brand bundling and operational resources.

STERN firmographics

Firmographics

Name: STERN
Legal name: G+J Medien GmbH
Website: https://stern.de
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1949
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: STERN is a Hamburg-based, multi-platform German news media brand (founded 1948) operating under G+J Medien GmbH/Bertelsmann. It publishes a weekly print magazine, the stern.de digital portal, podcasts, video, and a premium subscription (stern+) for German-speaking consumers seeking investigative journalism and lifestyle content.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

STERN industry classification

Industry

Product category: Digital News Media
NAICS: Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper Publishers (51311)
SIC: Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
akta.pro primary industry: News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

Digital news media
Investigative journalism
Premium news subscription
News magazine publishing
Multimedia news content

Where STERN is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Hamburg
HQ country: Germany
HQ region: Europe

Markets served

STERN business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Digital subscription (stern+): STERN operates a freemium model with a premium subscription tier called stern+. The stern+ subscription provides access to exclusive in-depth stories, premium content from GEO and Capital, audio stories, and the full archive. The publication is largely advertiser-supported for free content, while the subscription generates recurring revenue from paying members.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Weekly	stern+ introductory trial — 4 weeks for 1€

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

STERN product offering

Product offering

Core offering

STERN is a German news media company that publishes a weekly print magazine, a multi-section digital news portal (stern.de), and premium subscription content (stern+). It produces original journalism across politics, society, economy, culture, health, lifestyle, sports, and travel, delivered through articles, podcasts, video, newsletters, and casual online games.

Product overview

STERN operates primarily as a multi-platform German news media company offering a comprehensive digital news portal (stern.de), premium subscription service (stern+), print magazine, podcasts, videos, and branded content verticals including GEO (nature/travel) and Capital (business/finance). The portfolio also includes a product comparison service (Kaufkosmos) and free browser-based casual games. The company is part of G+J Medien GmbH and positions itself as a leading German news brand delivering journalism across society, politics, culture, health, sport, and lifestyle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

stern+: Subscription service offering exclusive content from STERN, GEO, and Capital publications.
spiele.stern.de

Products and services

stern.de digital news portal German-language online news portal providing news, background reports, and investigative journalism across society, politics, panorama, health, culture, sport, travel, economy, family, and lifestyle topics for general adult readers.
stern+ premium subscription Paid subscription offering exclusive access to in-depth articles, premium GEO and Capital content, audio stories, and the full archive for German-speaking readers.
stern Print Magazine Weekly print magazine covering news, society, politics, and cultural topics, available by subscription and newsstand purchase.
stern Podcasts Original podcast series including investigative storytelling (Sea Story), true-crime (stern Crime), interviews (stern-Gespräche), and feature programming (stern Stunde), distributed via streaming platforms.
stern Video Video content including news clips, documentaries, and visual storytelling published across STERN's digital channels.
spiele.stern.de online games Free browser-based casual games including Solitaire, Sudoku, Mahjong, Snake, Bubble Shooter, and Exchange with highscore tracking and multiple difficulty levels.
stern Crime content vertical Dedicated crime journalism vertical offering true-crime stories, investigations, and case reports, including the stern Crime podcast series.
stern Kaufkosmos Product testing and deal comparison service offering independent reviews and buying guides for consumer products including electronics, household items, and lifestyle goods.

Companies that use STERN

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

STERN technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

STERN partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

STERN competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Der Spiegel: Germany's flagship weekly news magazine, directly competing with STERN across politics, society, and investigative journalism. Both operate paid digital subscription products (Spiegel+) and broad multi-platform newsrooms in German.
Bild: Germany's largest tabloid and news brand, operated by Axel Springer. Bild+ subscription competes directly with stern+ for mass-market paying news consumers in Germany.
Die Welt / Welt+: Axel Springer's broadsheet daily with a paid Welt+ subscription tier. Directly competes with STERN for paying German-speaking news consumers across politics, business, and lifestyle.
Focus: Burda's weekly news magazine and digital portal, directly comparable to STERN as a German weekly covering politics, society, and lifestyle. Both target broad German-speaking audiences with magazine-style journalism.
Die Zeit: Renowned German weekly newspaper with a strong digital subscription model (Zeit+). Comparable to STERN in audience, weekly cadence, and premium journalism positioning, though with a more literary orientation.
Süddeutsche Zeitung: Germany's largest broadsheet daily with a paid digital subscription (SZ Plus). Directly competes with stern.de for paying readers in German investigative and political journalism.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ): Prestigious German daily with FAZ+ digital subscription. Overlaps with STERN's business and political coverage and competes for high-income, engaged German readers.
Handelsblatt: Germany's leading business daily with a paid Handelsblatt subscription. Directly comparable through Capital (STERN's business sub-brand) on financial and economic journalism for German readers.

Emerging players

t-online.de: One of Germany's most-visited general news portals, owned by Ströer. Competes with stern.de for ad-supported reach and broad-news audiences, though with a different distribution model (portal vs. magazine).

Broad incumbents

n-tv: RTL Germany's 24-hour news channel and portal, offering competing news, business, and lifestyle content to stern.de. Overlaps on general news, capital-markets coverage, and lifestyle verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

STERN financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

STERN leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

STERN funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

STERN M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about STERN

What does STERN do?

Is STERN a public or private company?

STERN is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was STERN founded?

STERN was founded in 1949. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is STERN based?

STERN is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.

How does STERN make money?

One revenue line is on record: digital subscription (stern+).

Who are STERN's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Der Spiegel, Bild, Die Welt / Welt+, Focus, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) and Handelsblatt. t-online.de is listed as an emerging player. n-tv is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does STERN have an API?

No public API is recorded for STERN.

What industry is STERN in?

STERN's product category is Digital News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAO, News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.