AZ Medien AG

What AZ Medien AG does

AZ Medien AG operates commercially as CH Media and is the leading media house in German-speaking Switzerland, headquartered in Zurich with roots dating to 1836 and structured as a family-owned private company with 501-1000 employees. The group runs a portfolio of approximately 70 brands spanning print newspapers, free-to-air and regional television (3+, TeleZüri, Tele 1, TVO), private radio (Radio 24, Radio Pilatus), digital news portals (watson, the newly launched Schweiz heute), the oneplus subscription streaming service (which bundles Paramount+ content), and the jobzüri.ch employment marketplace, collectively reaching approximately three million people daily in Switzerland. The product architecture is a multi-platform media ecosystem that combines owned editorial production (a network of approximately 350 journalists across daily newspaper titles) with distribution across broadcast, digital, mobile, Smart-TV and Set-Top-Box channels.

The business model is dual-track. The legacy revenue engine is advertising sold via a multi-channel sales operation (chmediawerbung.ch) across print, TV, radio and digital properties, monetizing the ~3 million daily audience reach. A growing direct-to-consumer arm is anchored on the oneplus streaming subscription at CHF 9.90/month or CHF 99/year, complemented by programmatic advertising on watson (the third-largest ad-funded news portal in Switzerland) and the new Schweiz heute national portal. CH Media also operates an adjacent job-marketplace vertical through jobzüri.ch and a service-partnership arrangement with NZZ Regionalmedien AG, under which it delivers technology, production, marketing and management services to Tele 1 and TVO, demonstrating shared-infrastructure leverage across the broader Swiss regional media landscape.

Name

AZ Medien AG

Legal name

AZ Medien AG

Website

https://azmedien.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1836

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

AZ Medien AG, operating as CH Media, is a family-owned Swiss media house running approximately 70 brands across print, TV, radio, streaming, and digital, reaching about 3 million people daily in German-speaking Switzerland. It monetizes through advertising sales and the oneplus subscription streaming service, with a network of 350+ journalists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Media Broadcasting

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Radio Networks (National/Regional) (MPABABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

News/Talk Radio Networks (MPABABAD)

Keywords

• Regional media broadcasting
• Print newspaper publishing
• Subscription streaming service
• Swiss news media
• Advertising sales network

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarau

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Advertising revenue from newspapers, TV channels, radio stations, and digital platforms including watson.ch, schweizheute.ch, and other digital properties. The company reaches 3 million people daily in Switzerland through its media channels.
2. Streaming Subscription (oneplus): Abo-streaming service offering Swiss and international content including Paramount+ access. Available for CHF 9.90/month or CHF 99/year via desktop, apps, Smart-TVs and Set-Top-Boxes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AZ Medien AG (operating under the brand CH Media) is a Swiss media company that produces and distributes news and entertainment content across approximately 70 owned brands spanning print newspapers, advertising publications, regional and national TV channels (3+, TeleZüri, Tele 1, TVO), private radio stations (Radio 24, Radio Pilatus), the national news portal Schweiz heute, the watson news portal, and the subscription streaming service oneplus. The company reaches roughly three million people daily in Switzerland, monetizes audiences through advertising sales and through the oneplus subscription (CHF 9.90/month or CHF 99/year), and provides regional job-marketplace services via jobzüri.ch.

Product overview

CH Media is a media house operating approximately 70 brands across print, TV, radio, streaming, digital, and printing. The portfolio includes national news portals (Schweiz heute, watson), TV channels (3+, Tele 1, TeleZüri, TVO), radio stations (Radio 24, Radio Pilatus), a streaming service (oneplus with Paramount+ integration), and job platform (jobzüri.ch). The company reaches approximately three million people daily in Switzerland through daily newspapers, advertisers, radio, and TV stations. The product architecture is a multi-platform media ecosystem combining owned content production, distribution across multiple channels (print, broadcast, streaming, digital), and advertising monetization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Schweiz heute: New national news portal launched by CH Media, bundling the editorial network of daily newspaper titles with around 350 journalists.
• watson
• 3+
• oneplus
• Radio 24
• Radio Pilatus
• TeleZüri
• Tele 1
• TVO
• jobzüri.ch

Products and services

• Schweiz heute National news portal by CH Media that focuses on national and international topics and connects them with the best regional stories. Bundles the editorial power of around 350 journalists across the daily newspaper titles; available as web, iOS, and Android apps.
• watson Third-largest ad-funded news portal in Switzerland with German-speaking and French-speaking editions, offering news, debate contributions, and entertainment adapted for apps, web, social, and search channels.
• oneplus Swiss subscription streaming service offering Swiss and international content including Swiss films, documentaries, oneplus Originals, and Paramount+ catalog. Available via desktop, iOS/Android apps, Smart-TVs, and Set-Top-Boxes for CHF 9.90/month or CHF 99/year.
• 3+ Free-to-air entertainment TV channel with Swiss-produced shows ('Bauer, ledig, sucht...', 'Der Bachelor', 'Die Bachelorette', 'Sing meinen Song', 'Höhle der Löwen Schweiz', 'Masterchef Schweiz') and exclusive live sports including UEFA Champions League matches and National League playoffs.
• TeleZüri Regional TV channel for the Greater Zurich area and surrounding cantons covering local topics alongside national and international stories. Aired news, talk shows, and entertainment; recognized as the clear number 1 among Swiss regional TV broadcasters.
• Tele 1 Central Swiss regional TV channel that first aired in February 2010 and reports on important regional topics. Subsidiary of NZZ Regionalmedien AG; CH Media provides technology, production, marketing, and management services.
• TVO (Ostschweizer Fernsehen) Eastern Switzerland regional TV channel since 1999 serving cantons St. Gallen, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and parts of Thurgau with news, talk shows, and entertainment. Subsidiary of NZZ Regionalmedien AG; CH Media provides technology, production, marketing, and management services.
• Radio 24 Switzerland's oldest private radio station, broadcasting from Zurich to Glarus with a music mix, compact information, entertaining presenters, and morning show 'Ufsteller'. Available on iOS and Android.
• Radio Pilatus Central Switzerland private radio station that first aired on December 1, 1983 and is the most listened-to private radio in Central Switzerland, with music-focused programming. Available on iOS and Android.
• jobzüri.ch Job search platform serving the Zurich economic region, offering job listings, application tools, career advice, and recruitment advertising formats via CH Media's media channels for employers.
• CH Media Advertising (chmediawerbung.ch) Multi-channel advertising sales platform from CH Media enabling Swiss advertisers to reach approximately three million people daily via daily newspapers, Anzeiger (advertising publications), radio stations, and TV channels.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NZZ Regionalmedien AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCH Media provides technical, production, marketing, and management services for Tele 1 and TVO, which are subsidiary companies of NZZ Regionalmedien AG and part of the NZZ enterprise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NZZ Mediengruppe: Publisher of Neue Zürcher Zeitung and operator of regional media assets including Tele 1 and TVO (where CH Media provides production/tech services). Direct peer in the Swiss-German premium news and regional media segment.
• Ringier: Swiss-headquartered, family-controlled international media group operating Blick, Blick TV, and digital classifieds. Closely comparable as another family-owned Swiss media conglomerate with print, TV, and digital operations.
• TX Group: Switzerland's largest media group, publishing Tages-Anzeiger, 20 Minuten, and operating digital marketplaces. Highly comparable as a multi-format Swiss media house with print, digital, and marketplace assets serving the same Swiss audience.

Emerging players

• Netflix: Global streaming incumbent competing directly with oneplus for Swiss subscription video consumers. Relevant as the benchmark pricing and content expectation set against which any Swiss streamer competes.
• Spotify: Global audio streaming leader competing with CH Media's radio stations (Radio 24, Radio Pilatus) for listener attention and podcast advertising share in the Swiss market.

Broad incumbents

• Paramount Global: Global media company whose Paramount+ product is bundled into CH Media's oneplus streaming service. Comparable as a content partner and indirect competitor for streaming and entertainment attention.
• ITV plc: UK-based integrated broadcaster with free-to-air TV, streaming (ITVX), and Studios. Comparable in combining linear TV entertainment, ad-funded model, and a streaming product competing against global SVODs.
• RTL Group: Europe's largest broadcaster operating multiple TV, streaming, and digital assets. Comparable in multi-channel broadcasting and ad-funded entertainment model relevant to 3+ and oneplus.
• ProSiebenSat.1 Media: Major German-language free-TV broadcaster and digital media operator. Comparable in commercial TV entertainment format, ad-funded model, and German-speaking audience overlap with CH Media's 3+ channel.
• Bauer Media Group: Privately held, family-controlled multi-format media company spanning print, audio, digital, and broadcasting in German-speaking Europe. Highly comparable ownership structure and diversified media house model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/az-medien-gruppe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 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 AZ Medien AG