Berliner Zeitung
Berliner Zeitung is Berlin's largest subscription newspaper, published by Berliner Verlag GmbH under Ostdeutsche Medienholding since 1945. It delivers German-language journalism across digital, print, and e-paper channels to Berlin residents and broader East German readers via a six-tier subscription model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Berliner Zeitung does
Berliner Zeitung is a Berlin-headquartered, German-language newspaper publisher operating as Berliner Verlag GmbH and owned by the Ostdeutsche Medienholding GmbH holding company. Founded in 1945 and positioned as Berlin's largest subscription newspaper, it distributes journalism across digital (berliner-zeitung.de), print, and e-paper channels, covering Berlin local news across all 12 city districts (Bezirke), German politics, economics, culture, international affairs (with a noted Russia/Ukraine focus), sports (including a dedicated 1. FC Union Berlin vertical and Alba Berlin basketball coverage), and East German regional affairs. Subscription access is structured into six tiers ranging from €12/month (B+ digital) to €75/month (Print Monday-Saturday plus digital), with the All Access Ost tier bundling access across the broader Ostdeutsche Medienholding portfolio at €15/month annually.
The product surface extends beyond core journalism into subscriber-engagement puzzle games (Wordle, Kreuzworträtsel, Sudoku, Wabenr\u00e4tsel, Binairo, Paarsuche) gated behind the B+ tier, an Open Source reader-contribution platform, a Leserreisen reader travel service, and a Trauer obituary portal. Ancillary revenue is generated through print advertising (mediakit at berlinerverlag.com), content syndication/licensing to third-party websites and publications via berliner-zeitung.de/berlin-syndication, and affiliate arrangements with travel operators including AKE-RHEINGOLD and EXPLORA III. Native mobile apps are deployed on iOS (developer: Berliner Verlag GmbH) and Android (developer: Ostdeutsche Medienholding GmbH), and the company maintains active social presence on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Threads alongside email newsletters (daily "Guten Morgen Berlin" at 6:00 AM and weekly "Stil und Genuss").
The underlying technology stack is described as a conventional digital publishing platform with e-paper, article management, and newsletter distribution infrastructure, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no public API, and no proprietary technology differentiators identified. The business operates as a private company with no public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, and no disclosed headcount, though an active recruitment page at join.com/companies/berlinerverlag indicates ongoing hiring.
Berliner Zeitung firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Berliner Zeitung
- Legal name
- Berliner Verlag GmbH
- Website
- https://berliner-zeitung.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Berliner Zeitung is Berlin's largest subscription newspaper, published by Berliner Verlag GmbH under Ostdeutsche Medienholding since 1945. It delivers German-language journalism across digital, print, and e-paper channels to Berlin residents and broader East German readers via a six-tier subscription model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Berliner Zeitung industry classification
Industry- Product category
- News Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Newsletter Publishing Platforms (MPACAIAA)
Keywords
Where Berliner Zeitung is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Berliner Zeitung business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Digital Subscriptions: Tiered digital subscription access to web content, archives, and puzzles. Tiers range from B+ basic digital access to All Access Ost covering the broader Ostdeutsche Medienholding portfolio.
- Print Subscriptions: Weekend print editions and Monday-Saturday print + digital bundles delivered to subscribers. Wochenende Print at €20/month, Print Mo-Sa & Digital at €75/month.
- Print Advertising: Print advertising sold through berliner-zeitung.de/sponsored with mediakit at berlinerverlag.com/mediakit/
- Syndication/Licensing: High-quality journalistic content (text, photos, infographics) licensed to third parties including websites, newsletters, intranets, newspapers, magazines, books, and brochures. Rights managed through syndication form at berliner-zeitung.de/berlin-syndication.
- Reader Travel (Leserreisen): Bundled reader travel packages including trips to Locarno, Canada/Japan cruise, Oslo, and Warsaw Chopin tours offered through leserreisen.berliner-zeitung.de.
- Trauer Portal (Obituaries): Obituary and memorial notice services through trauer.berlinerverlag.com, managed in partnership with service line +49 30 2327 5874.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | B+ Digital Access — entry-level digital subscription covering all web offerings |
| Subscription | Annual | All Access Ost — digital access across the entire Ostdeutsche Medienholding |
| Subscription | Monthly | Digitale Zeitung — full digital access including digital newspaper |
| Subscription | Monthly | Wochenende Print & Digital — Saturday print edition plus full digital access |
| Subscription | Annual | Print Mo-Sa & Digital — Monday-Saturday print plus digital access |
| Subscription | Annual | Wochenende Print — Saturday print-only subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Berliner Zeitung product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Berliner Zeitung is a German-language subscription newspaper publishing daily journalism on Berlin local affairs, politics, culture, sports, and East German regional news. It monetizes through tiered digital and print subscriptions, e-paper editions, advertising, and content syndication.
Product overview
Berliner Zeitung operates as a multi-platform news organization offering a primary German-language digital news portal alongside several subscription tiers and complementary services. The core offering is the Berliner Zeitung digital platform delivering daily journalism on Berlin, German politics, culture, sports, and regional affairs. Subscription access is structured in multiple tiers: B+ provides digital-only access, All Access Ost extends to the broader Ostdeutsche Medienholding network, and combined print-digital packages offer the printed Saturday edition or full weekday print plus digital. The E-Paper provides a digital replica of the printed edition. Complementary offerings include puzzle games (Wordle, Kreuzworträtsel, Sudoku, Wabenrätsel, Binairo, Paarsuche), a reader travel service (Leserreisen), an obituary portal (Trauer Portal), an Open Source platform for reader contributions, and a content syndication service for licensing editorial content to third parties.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- B+: Subscription tier providing access to all web offerings
- All Access Ost
- E-Paper
Products and services
- Berliner Zeitung (Digital) Primary German-language digital news platform delivering daily journalism covering Berlin, German politics, culture, sports, and regional news with multimedia content. For German-speaking news consumers and Berlin residents.
- E-Paper Digital replica of the printed newspaper, providing a complete electronic version of the daily Berliner Zeitung edition for subscribers.
- B+ (Digitalabo) Entry-level digital subscription tier providing full access to all web offerings of the Berliner Zeitung including articles and puzzle archives. Priced at €2.00/month for 2 months, then €12.00/month.
- All Access Ost Annual digital subscription offering access to all web offerings across the Ostdeutsche Medienholding network of East German publications. Priced at €15.00/month billed annually.
- Digitale Zeitung Full digital subscription combining web access with the digital newspaper edition. Priced at €10.00/month for 2 months, then €35.00/month.
- Wochenende Print & Digital Combined subscription featuring the printed Saturday edition plus complete digital access including E-Paper. Priced at €20.00/month for 2 months, then €40.00/month.
- Print von Mo-Sa & Digital Full subscription with printed newspaper Monday through Saturday plus complete digital access. Priced at €75.00/month on an annual basis.
- Wochenende Print Printed Saturday edition subscription only, with no digital access. Priced at €20.00/month on an annual basis.
- Leserreisen (Reader Travel) Curated reader travel service offering bundled trips and tours including special train journeys (Locarno), cruises (Canada-Japan), and cultural tours (Oslo, Warsaw) for subscribers and readers.
- Trauer Portal Obituary and funeral announcement service provided in partnership with Berliner Verlag for commemorating deceased individuals.
- Syndication Content licensing service allowing third parties (websites, newsletters, intranets, newspapers, magazines, books, brochures) to reuse Berliner Zeitung and Berliner Kurier journalistic content including text, photos, and infographics.
Companies that use Berliner Zeitung
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Berliner Zeitung technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Berliner Zeitung partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Lollapalooza BerlinminorLollapalooza Berlin (July 18-19, 2026) promoted through berliner-zeitung.de with event coverage and ticket links. Berliner Zeitung provides editorial coverage of the festival as a major Berlin cultural event.
- Third-party Media Partners (Syndication)minorBerliner Verlag Syndication licenses journalistic content (text, photos, infographics) to third-party websites, newsletters, intranets, newspapers, magazines, books, and brochures. Rights managed through syndication form. Sources include Berliner Zeitung and Berliner Kurier products.
- AKE-RHEINGOLD (Sonderzugreisen)minorReader travel (Leserreisen) partnership offering Locarno am Lago Maggiore 8-day special train journey through AKE-RHEINGOLD. Featured at leserreisen.berliner-zeitung.de with booking links.
- EXPLORA III CruiseminorReader travel partnership featuring 35-day luxury cruise from Canada to Japan aboard EXPLORA III. Part of Leserreisen offerings at leserreisen.berliner-zeitung.de.
- Ostdeutsche Medienholding GmbHcoreBerliner Verlag GmbH is part of Ostdeutsche Medienholding, enabling All Access Ost subscription tier bundling across multiple East German regional publications. This holding structure provides cross-regional reach and shared digital infrastructure.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Berliner Zeitung competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Die Welt: Axel Springer national daily with Welt+ paid digital tier; comparable in scale and subscription tiers and competes directly for premium German news subscribers.
- taz (die tageszeitung): Berlin-headquartered nationally distributed daily with a similar paywall and reader-funded subscription model; competes for the same urban, politically engaged German reader cohort.
- Handelsblatt: Germany's leading business daily with a successful digital subscription pivot; comparable for the tiered subscription model and high-ARPU subscriber base.
- Tagesspiegel: Berlin-based subscription daily with comparable digital tiers and local Bezirk coverage; directly competes for Berlin readers and advertising on the same geography and editorial beat.
- Leipziger Volkszeitung: East German regional daily in the same Ostdeutsche Medienholding portfolio and sharing digital infrastructure; comparable for cross-regional subscription bundling and the same regional-newsroom economics.
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ): National quality daily with paid digital subscriptions and dedicated regional sections; comparable business model transitioning a print heritage into digital subscription revenue.
- Berliner Morgenpost: Berlin local daily owned by Funke Mediengruppe; competes head-to-head for Berlin subscribers, print home delivery, and regional advertising in the same city.
- Die Zeit: Weekly quality newspaper with deep digital subscription penetration and lifestyle/culture verticals; comparable for premium German-language subscription news and the digital-augmented print bundle.
- Süddeutsche Zeitung: Germany's largest subscription broadsheet with mature digital subscription tiers and lifestyle/news verticals; serves as the southern-region reference for the same subscription/news-app business model.
- B.Z. Berlin: Berlin mass-market daily in the same metro market; competes for Berliner Zeitung's advertising and readership pool, particularly in print home delivery and tabloid-oriented local stories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Berliner Zeitung social profiles
Digital presenceBerliner Zeitung financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Berliner Zeitung leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Berliner Zeitung funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Berliner Zeitung M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Berliner Zeitung
What does Berliner Zeitung do?
Berliner Zeitung is a German-language subscription newspaper publishing daily journalism on Berlin local affairs, politics, culture, sports, and East German regional news. It monetizes through tiered digital and print subscriptions, e-paper editions, advertising, and content syndication.
Is Berliner Zeitung a public or private company?
Berliner Zeitung is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Berliner Zeitung founded?
Berliner Zeitung was founded in 1945.
Where is Berliner Zeitung based?
Berliner Zeitung is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Berliner Zeitung make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are print Subscriptions, print Advertising, syndication/Licensing, reader Travel (Leserreisen) and trauer Portal (Obituaries).
Who are Berliner Zeitung's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Die Welt, taz (die tageszeitung), Handelsblatt, Tagesspiegel, Leipziger Volkszeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Berliner Morgenpost, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung and B.Z. Berlin.
Does Berliner Zeitung have an API?
No public API is recorded for Berliner Zeitung.
What industry is Berliner Zeitung in?
Berliner Zeitung's product category is News Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital), with a secondary code of MPACAIAA, Newsletter Publishing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.