What Vorarlberger Nachrichten does

Vorarlberger Nachrichten ('VN') is a regional daily newspaper headquartered in Schwarzach, Vorarlberg, Austria, operated by Russmedia Verlag GmbH since 1945 (80th anniversary observed in 2025). Its core product is a German-language daily covering Vorarlberg regional politics, sports, culture, business and community news, with sections including Regionalliga, Vorarlberg, Politik, Sport, Markt, Menschen, Kultur, Wissen, Mobilität, Leserbriefe and Heimat. The publication serves the general readership of the Austrian state of Vorarlberg — approximately 400,000 inhabitants — through a direct-to-consumer distribution model anchored on print home-delivery subscriptions (Abo- und Zustellservice) and complemented by digital channels.

The product ecosystem spans the print edition; the VN.at digital news portal (vn.at); an e-paper platform (epaper.vn.at) operated with paywall management from Atex Media Limited; native iOS and Android mobile applications; the 'VN am Morgen' free daily email newsletter (Mon–Sat, 6 AM); a WhatsApp news channel distributed via Meta Platforms; the 'VN Zeitreise' personalized historical archive service that generates birthday-specific front pages from the 80-year archive; daily puzzle games (Kreuzworträtsel and Sudoku); and the 'VN-Sommergespräche' annual political interview series. Subscriber-facing loyalty infrastructure — the VN-Vorteilsclub — bundles discounts across cinemas (Metro Bregenz, Kinothek Lustenau, Cinema Dornbirn, Kino Bludenz), Ballooning Vorarlberg, Vorarlberg Lines, poolbar Festival, regional museums, and events.

The revenue model combines recurring print and digital subscriptions, advertising sales (operated through wholly-owned Progress Vorarlberg Werbe GmbH and Russmedia GmbH), and loyalty-program-driven partner offers. The company is privately held under Russmedia Holding GmbH (61.5%) and Sophie Kempf-Russ Privatstiftung (38.5%), with beneficial control via Eugen A. Russ's EAR Privatstiftung. The group also owns or controls related media assets including majority-held Antenne Vorarlberg radio and wholly-owned Neue Zeitungs GmbH daily newspaper, positioning VN as the anchor property of a regional Austrian media portfolio. Management comprises Geschäftsführer Eugen A. Russ, Markus Raith and Isabel Russ.

Name

Vorarlberger Nachrichten

Legal name

Russmedia Verlag GmbH

Website

https://vn.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Vorarlberger Nachrichten is a regional daily newspaper serving Vorarlberg, Austria since 1945, operated by Russmedia Verlag GmbH, with print, e-paper, vn.at web portal, iOS/Android apps, WhatsApp news, VOL.AT+ premium tier and the VN-Vorteilsclub subscriber loyalty program.

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
• Daily news publishing
• Digital news subscription
• Print newspaper delivery
• Local journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Schwarzach

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Print Newspaper Subscriptions: Traditional newspaper subscription (Abo) for daily print edition distributed across Vorarlberg, Austria. The newspaper has been published since 1945 and celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2025.
2. E-Paper / Digital Subscriptions: Digital edition (e-paper) of the newspaper available via epaper.vn.at. Also offers VOL.AT+ premium digital content. Subscription-based digital access.
3. Advertising: Advertising space sales (Anzeigen) across print and digital platforms. Contact: Tel. +43 (0) 5572 501-400, [email protected]. The company also owns Progress Vorarlberg Werbe GmbH (100%) dedicated to advertising space marketing.
4. VN-Vorteilsclub / Loyalty Program: The VN-Vorteilsclub offers subscriber benefits including discounts on events, travel, dining, museums, and entertainment. Partners provide offers to VN subscribers, generating cross-promotional revenue and subscriber retention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vorarlberger Nachrichten is a regional daily newspaper serving Vorarlberg, Austria, providing local and regional coverage of politics, sports, culture, business, and community news. It operates the VN.at digital news portal, an e-paper edition, native mobile applications, and the VN-Vorteilsclub subscriber loyalty program offering discounts with local partners. The newspaper has been published continuously since 1945 and delivers content through both print home delivery and digital subscription channels.

Product overview

Vorarlberger Nachrichten operates VN.at as its primary digital news platform, a unified regional news portal covering politics, sports, culture, business, and local Vorarlberg communities. The product portfolio includes the core digital news portal (VN.at) complemented by an e-paper digital newspaper edition, an online shop for subscriptions and merchandise, and the 'Zeitreise' historical archive service. Subscriber services include the VN-Abonnement subscription tier which provides access to premium content and the VN-Vorteilsclub benefits program offering exclusive discounts on local events, travel, and cultural activities. Additional digital offerings include mobile apps for iOS and Android, the daily 'VN am Morgen' newsletter, online prize contests for subscribers, and daily puzzle games (Kreuzworträtsel and Sudoku). The ecosystem is anchored around a subscription-based model with tiered access to content and exclusive subscriber perks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VN.at Online News Portal The main digital news portal of Vorarlberger Nachrichten providing regional news coverage for Vorarlberg, Austria, including sections for politics, sport, culture, business, and local communities, with VOL.AT+ premium content tier.
• E-Paper Digital edition of the printed Vorarlberger Nachrichten newspaper, accessible online at epaper.vn.at for subscribers, including current and archived issues.
• Print Newspaper Subscription (Abo) Traditional home delivery subscription for the daily print edition of Vorarlberger Nachrichten distributed across Vorarlberg, Austria. Includes VN-Vorteilskarte for subscriber benefits.
• VN Mobile App Native mobile applications for iOS (App Store ID 417731767) and Android (Google Play) enabling on-the-go news access, push notifications, and subscriber features.
• VN-Vorteilsclub Loyalty Program Subscriber loyalty program offering exclusive discounts, special offers, and preferential pricing on local events, travel, dining, museums, and cultural activities throughout Vorarlberg, in partnership with regional businesses.
• VN am Morgen Newsletter Free daily morning newsletter sent Monday through Saturday at 6 AM, delivering the most important news headlines and topics of the day to subscribers' email inboxes.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 core and minor.

• Russmedia Holding GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company Russmedia Holding GmbH owns 100% of Russmedia Verlag GmbH. The holding company also owns Russmedia Digital Beteiligungs GmbH, Russmedia Digital GmbH, and other media companies. Eugen A. Russ controls the holding through EAR Privatstiftung (99.01%).
• Google Ireland LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle Ireland Limited is used for Google Ads campaigns to promote VN.at and drive advertising customer acquisition. Data on identity and business is transmitted to Google Ads for campaign management.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Oberösterreichische Nachrichten: Regional daily newspaper in Upper Austria with multi-channel distribution (print, digital, apps) and subscription revenue model. Comparable as a peer Austrian regional newspaper publisher with similar subscriber and advertising structure.
• Salzburger Nachrichten: Regional daily newspaper in Salzburg, Austria, with print, e-paper, website, and mobile apps. Directly comparable in operating model to Vorarlberger Nachrichten as an Austrian regional subscription-based news publisher.
• Tiroler Tageszeitung: Leading regional daily newspaper in Tyrol, Austria, offering print and digital editions with subscription and advertising revenue. Comparable as an Austrian provincial daily newspaper with similar multi-channel subscriber model in a different regional market.
• Kleine Zeitung: Largest regional daily newspaper in Austria, serving Styria and Carinthia with print, digital, and mobile channels. Closely comparable as a multi-channel regional newspaper publisher with subscription, advertising, and digital paywall monetization in a different Austrian state.
• Niederösterreichische Nachrichten: Regional newspaper group serving Lower Austria with print and digital channels under a subscription-based model. Comparable as an Austrian regional newspaper peer operating with similar distribution, editorial, and revenue structure.

Broad incumbents

• Kronen Zeitung: Austria's largest-circulation daily newspaper with national reach across print and digital. Comparable as a broad-incumbent Austrian news publisher that competes with VN for national advertising spend and digital reader attention.
• Die Presse: Austrian national daily with quality journalism positioning, paywalled digital access, and print circulation. Comparable as a broad-incumbent competitor for premium readers and national advertising budgets.
• Kurier: Austrian national daily newspaper with print, web, and app distribution under a paid-content model. Comparable as a broad-incumbent news publisher competing for the same Austrian reader and advertiser base.
• Der Standard: Austrian national newspaper with a strong digital subscription (derStandard.at PREMIUM) business. Comparable as a broad-incumbent digital-focused news publisher competing for paying readers and digital ad spend in Austria.

Emerging players

• OE24: Austrian digital-native news platform (oe24) operated by Mediengruppe Österreich. Comparable as a digital-first competitor targeting the same Austrian audience with a content and advertising model that pressures regional publishers like VN.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vnredaktion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Vorarlberger Nachrichten