Westfälische Nachrichten

What Westfälische Nachrichten does

Westfälische Nachrichten (WN) is a regional daily newspaper and multi-platform news publisher headquartered in Münster, Germany, at An der Hansalinie 1, 48163. It is operated by Aschendorff Medien GmbH & Co. KG, a privately held media group whose personally liable general partner is A & F Beteiligungsgesellschaft GmbH, and the business is managed by Managing Directors (Geschäftsführer) Marc Zahlmann and Dennis Hagen. WN serves the Münsterland region, covering the city of Münster and the surrounding Kreise of Steinfurt, Warendorf, Borken, and Coesfeld, with district-level reporting across dozens of municipalities and neighborhoods. Its core editorial product spans local and regional news, politics, culture, lifestyle, and comprehensive sports coverage anchored on regional clubs including Preußen Münster, USC Münster, and Uni Baskets Münster, alongside international and Bundesliga reporting.

The company's product portfolio combines traditional print with a layered digital stack. Print home delivery is augmented by an ePaper product accessible via web and dedicated iOS/Android apps, the WN News-App, push notifications, and a portfolio of specialized newsletters (Fahrtwind cycling, 19:06 Preußen, Der Tag in Münster, Plus-Newsletter, Küchenzeilen culinary). Beyond news, WN operates a portfolio of vertical classifieds marketplaces — karriere.ms (jobs), immomarkt.ms (real estate), kfzmarkt.ms (automotive), trauer.ms (obituaries), azubi.ms (apprenticeships), gruss.ms (greetings), and flohmarkt.ms — as well as the WN Lesershop e-commerce storefront for regional merchandise, the WN unterwegs reader travel program, and the Klasse!-Projekt media-education initiative for schools. The underlying technology stack is described as a digital news platform with ePaper capability, native mobile applications, web-based subscription management, and newsletter delivery infrastructure, with no disclosed AI, API, or proprietary technical differentiators.

WN's revenue model is multi-stream and consumer-anchored. It includes recurring print subscriptions, recurring digital subscriptions sold via self-serve tiered pricing (Digital Premium at €6.90/month for existing print subscribers or €45.90/month for new customers; Digital Basis at €0.99 first month then €14.90/month, or €79/year), display and banner advertising on wn.de and in print, transactional classifieds across the .ms marketplace network, one-off e-commerce revenue from the Lesershop, and professional-services revenue from reader trips and events. Promotional acquisition offers include a 5-week trial at €15 and bundled digital-plus-print packages. Distribution is regional and direct-to-consumer via print home delivery, self-serve digital sign-up, and marketplace channels. The company holds GDPR/DSGVO compliance certification, maintains an active website publishing current content, and has no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or external investors.

Name

Westfälische Nachrichten

Legal name

Aschendorff Medien GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://wn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Westfälische Nachrichten is a privately held regional daily newspaper and digital news platform serving the Münsterland region in Germany, offering print and digital subscriptions, ePaper, mobile apps, newsletters, classifieds marketplaces, reader travel, and merchandise under parent Aschendorff Medien.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Regional newspaper
• Digital news subscription
• Classified advertising
• Local journalism
• EPaper publication

Headquarters

HQ city

Münster

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Subscription: Traditional newspaper subscription providing daily print edition delivery to subscribers in the Münsterland region.
2. Digital Subscriptions: Digital Premium and Digital Basis subscription tiers providing online and app access to content, including ePaper versions.
3. Advertising: Display advertising, banner ads, and sponsored content on the wn.de website and in print editions.
4. Classifieds and Marketplace: Classified advertising platform featuring specialized marketplaces for careers (karriere.ms), real estate (immomarkt.ms), motors (kfzmarkt.ms), and other categories.
5. Reader Shop: WN Lesershop selling merchandise and regional products to readers.
6. Reader Trips and Events: WN unterwegs (reader trips) and special reader events generating revenue through travel packages and event participation fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Westfälische Nachrichten is a regional daily newspaper and digital news platform serving the Münsterland region of Germany. It delivers local, regional, national, and sports news through print home delivery, the wn.de website, ePaper, mobile apps, and topic-specific newsletters. Beyond news, it runs a network of vertical classifieds marketplaces (jobs, real estate, vehicles, obituaries, apprenticeships, greetings), a reader merchandise shop, and reader travel/event programs, monetized through subscriptions, advertising, and transaction fees.

Product overview

Westfälische Nachrichten operates a multi-platform regional news portal (wn.de) offering both digital and print products. The core offering includes the digital newspaper (ePaper), digital subscriptions (Digital Premium and Digital Basis), mobile news applications for iOS and Android, and email newsletters. The company runs multiple classified marketplaces (karriere.ms, immomarkt.ms, trauer.ms, azubi.ms, gruss.ms, kfzmarkt.ms, flohmarkt.ms), an e-commerce reader shop, educational programs (Klasse!-Projekt), and reader travel services (WN unterwegs). The portfolio combines news content delivery with community services, classified advertising, and subscription-based premium content access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WN ePaper: Digital newspaper edition available via app
• WN Digital Premium
• WN Digital Basis
• Klasse!-Projekt
• WN Lesershop
• WN unterwegs

Products and services

• WN ePaper Digital replica of the Westfälische Nachrichten newspaper accessible via web and mobile apps on iOS and Android devices, for readers and subscribers in the Münsterland region.
• Digital Premium subscription Premium digital subscription tier offering unlimited access to all WN+ content on wn.de, the news app, and ePaper, including exclusive articles and features, targeted at individual readers in the Münsterland region.
• Digital Basis subscription Entry-level digital subscription providing access to WN+ content on wn.de, push notifications, live tickers, news app, and newsletters, for individual readers in the Münsterland region.
• WN Lesershop Online merchandise shop selling regional products including Münster-themed acrylic paintings, handmade outdoor cushions, and gift items to readers and the wider public.
• WN unterwegs (Leserreisen) Reader travel program offering day trips, themed short trips, and exotic long-distance destinations at discounted prices, available to subscribers and readers.
• Klasse!-Projekt Media education program bringing newspapers into classroom instruction for schools in the Münsterland region.
• karriere.ms Online job classifieds marketplace for the Münsterland region, used by employers, recruiters, and job seekers.
• immomarkt.ms Real estate classifieds marketplace for the Münsterland region, used by agents, property owners, and seekers.
• trauer.ms Funeral notice and memorial classifieds platform for families and funeral service providers in the Münsterland region.
• flohmarkt.ms Online flea market and general classified listings platform for individuals and small sellers in the Münsterland region.
• azubi.ms Apprenticeship and vocational training classifieds marketplace for employers and trainees in the Münsterland region.
• gruss.ms Greeting card and message service allowing readers to publish greetings in the WN platform for the Münsterland region.
• kfzmarkt.ms Vehicle marketplace for cars and automotive classifieds serving buyers, sellers, and dealers in the Münsterland region.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aschendorff Medien GmbH & Co. KGcoreOthersWestfälische Nachrichten is operated by Aschendorff Medien GmbH & Co. KG, a regional media group based in Münster. The parent company provides publishing infrastructure, sales organization, and administrative services. Westfälische Nachrichten appears as part of the Zeitungs Gruppe Münster network.
• WestlottominorGTM or Marketing PartnerWestlotto partnership featuring lottery advertising and sponsored content in the WN platform. Westlotto is advertised as a partner offering with special promotional content.
• Stadtwerke MünsterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoverage of Stadtwerke Münster initiatives including the 'eezy.nrw' mobility service integration with the 'muenster:mobil' app. WN reports on these local infrastructure developments.
• Sparkasse MünsterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSparkasse (savings bank) co-sponsors events such as the Sparkassen-Sommerturnier football tournament organized by SV Greven, with WN providing coverage.
• Krombacher BrauereiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKrombacher Brauerei sponsors football Kreisliga events including cup competitions. WN provides coverage of these sponsored sports events.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• noz MEDIEN (Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung): Regional German newspaper group with digital subscription tiers, ePaper, newsletter portfolio, and local classifieds/marketplace network. Strong comparable on multi-product regional media GTM.
• Rheinische Post: Regional newspaper with a multi-tier digital subscription model, ePaper, newsletter portfolio, and hyperlocal NRW coverage. Strong direct comparable on subscription tiering and digital monetization.
• Münstersche Zeitung: Direct regional newspaper competitor also serving the Münster/Münsterland market with print and digital editions, overlapping news coverage, classifieds, and local sports reporting. Closest direct peer in the same geography.
• Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ): Major German regional newspaper group with print/digital subscriptions, ePaper, local marketplaces, and regional sports coverage. Highly comparable business model and product portfolio, though at significantly larger scale.
• Ruhr Nachrichten: Regional daily newspaper serving the Ruhr area with a comparable print-plus-digital subscription model, ePaper, local classifieds, and hyperlocal district coverage. Operates with a similar GTM to WN but in an adjacent German region.
• Zeitungsgruppe Münster: Network of regional newspaper titles in the Münster area co-branded with WN on its platform. Directly comparable regional publishing network with shared content and audience dynamics.
• Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger: Regional German newspaper with print+digital subscriptions, classifieds marketplace integrations, and strong local sports coverage. Comparable in subscription architecture and regional GTM motion.

Broad incumbents

• Funke Mediengruppe: Large German regional media group operating multiple daily newspapers, digital subscriptions, and classifieds platforms. Comparable at the parent-group level on portfolio strategy and digital transition playbook.
• Aschendorff Medien GmbH & Co. KG: WN's parent media group and regional publishing house in Münster, operating adjacent publications and services. Comparable as a broader regional media incumbent that owns WN as one of its titles.

Emerging players

• Kleinanzeigen (Kleinanzeigen.de): Germany's dominant online classifieds marketplace covering jobs, real estate, vehicles, and consumer goods — directly competing with WN's .ms marketplace network for the same regional SMB and consumer advertising budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wn_redaktion
• Facebookfacebook.com/wnonline

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Westfälische Nachrichten