Rheinische Post

What Rheinische Post does

Rheinische Post operates as a German regional newspaper and digital news platform headquartered in Düsseldorf, serving North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) with a particular focus on Düsseldorf, Mönchengladbach, Krefeld, Leverkusen, and surrounding cities. The company was founded in 1946 and has operated for over 80 years under the Rheinische Post Mediengruppe, with its digital operations housed in the RP Digital GmbH entity. Its primary product is RP ONLINE (rp-online.de), a multi-format digital news portal covering regional and national politics, sports (notably Fortuna Düsseldorf and Borussia Mönchengladbach), culture, economy, lifestyle, and a dedicated Lokalsport portal spanning Kleve to Leverkusen. Content is delivered via the website, iOS/Android mobile apps with push notifications, an e-paper digital newspaper edition, an active social media presence on Facebook/Instagram/TikTok, and a growing podcast portfolio including 'Stimme des Westens', 'Rheinpegel', 'Fohlenfutter', 'Tonspur Wissen', and the co-produced true-crime title 'Hinreichend verdächtig'. The platform is built on InterRed (InterRed GmbH) content management technology and incorporates interactive features such as online games/puzzles, the AI-powered Yummy Gastro-Bot restaurant recommendation chatbot, and digital flyer distribution via Weekli.

The business model combines a freemium news model with RP+ premium subscriptions (recurring revenue offering ad-reduced reading and exclusive content), display and sponsored advertising (banner ads, sponsored content, affiliate partnerships), transaction-fee and listing revenue from vertical marketplaces (RP Immobilien for real estate, RP Stellenmarkt and AzubiNRW for jobs and vocational training, RP Online Dating, RP Trauer funeral notices, and an auction platform), and service partnerships including travel services via Droste Reisen. The primary customer base is general adult readership in NRW seeking local/regional news, supplemented by job seekers and employers, real estate consumers, and SMB advertisers. Content verticals are segmented to serve distinct use cases (geographic regional news, employment matching, property transactions) while leveraging a single regional audience funnel. The company operates as a privately held subsidiary of the diversified Rheinische Post Mediengruppe, with no public listing or disclosed venture funding.

Name

Rheinische Post

Legal name

RP Digital GmbH

Website

https://rheinische-post.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rheinische Post is a German regional newspaper and digital news platform, founded in 1946, serving North Rhine-Westphalia readers — particularly in Düsseldorf — via rp-online.de, mobile apps, e-paper, podcasts, and vertical marketplaces, monetized through RP+ subscriptions, advertising, and classifieds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper / Digital News Publishing

NAICS

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

• Regional news publishing
• Digital newspaper subscription
• News podcast network
• Online classifieds marketplace
• Premium media content

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions (RP+): Premium digital subscription service offering exclusive content, ad-free reading experience, and exclusive features. Includes digital newspaper (e-paper) access.
2. Advertising: Display advertising on the website and mobile app, including banner ads, sponsored content, and affiliate partnerships.
3. Classifieds and Marketplace: Real estate marketplace (RP Immobilien), job board (RP Stellenmarkt/AzubiNRW), dating platform, funeral notices, and automotive marketplace.
4. Service Offerings: Premium services including dating platform subscriptions, event ticketing, travel services through partner Droste Reisen, and auction platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rheinische Post is a regional German news publisher operating the digital platform rp-online.de, distributing regional and national news, sports, politics, culture, and lifestyle content across North Rhine-Westphalia. It sells a premium ad-reduced digital subscription (RP+), an e-paper digital newspaper edition, a portfolio of branded podcasts, and adjacent marketplace services including real estate, jobs, dating, and obituary notices. The business combines content publishing with advertising, subscriptions, and classified marketplace transaction fees.

Product overview

Rheinische Post operates a multi-platform digital media portfolio centered on RP ONLINE, its primary news portal covering regional and national news for NRW. The offering includes the premium RP+ subscription tier, an e-paper digital newspaper edition, and a diverse podcasts portfolio featuring crime, sports, and news content. Additional digital services encompass a gastro recommendation chatbot, online games, job and real estate marketplaces, dating services, and digital advertising platforms. The products work together to provide comprehensive news, entertainment, and lifestyle services to the NRW audience across web, mobile, and audio formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RP+: Premium subscription service with exclusive content
• RP Digital
• Hinreichend verdächtig
• Rheinpegel
• Fohlenfutter
• Tonspur Wissen
• Stimme des Westens

Products and services

• RP ONLINE News Portal Primary digital news website of Rheinische Post delivering regional and national news, sports, politics, culture, economy, and lifestyle coverage to readers across North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond.
• RP+ (Premium Subscription) Premium digital subscription service that provides subscribers with exclusive content access, an ad-reduced reading experience, e-paper access, and additional subscriber benefits.
• E-Paper (Digital Newspaper Edition) Digital edition of the Rheinische Post newspaper allowing readers to access the complete print publication content in electronic format, often bundled with RP+ subscriptions.
• Podcast Portfolio Collection of regular branded audio podcasts including Stimme des Westens (news), Rheinpegel (Düsseldorf), Fohlenfutter (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Tonspur Wissen (science), and Hinreichend verdächtig (true crime).
• Hinreichend verdächtig (True-Crime Podcast) True-crime podcast produced in collaboration with Staatsanwaltschaft Duisburg, providing in-depth coverage of real criminal cases and the German legal system for general listeners.
• RP Mobile App Mobile app for iOS and Android providing smartphone access to RP ONLINE news, RP+ subscription content, push notifications, and offline reading.
• RP Immobilien (Real Estate Marketplace) Regional real estate classifieds marketplace where property listings in the NRW region are posted and discovered by buyers, sellers, and renters.
• RP Stellenmarkt / AzubiNRW (Job Marketplace) Regional employment marketplace covering NRW with a dedicated AzubiNRW vocational training platform for apprenticeship and trainee roles.
• RP Online Dating Dating partner service for RP readers seeking romantic connections, operated in partnership under the RP brand.
• RP Trauer (Funeral Notices) Funeral notice and obituary service for publishing and viewing death announcements in the NRW region.
• Weekli (Digital Flyers / Promotional Platform) Digital flyer and promotional offer platform allowing local businesses to distribute promotional content and offers to RP readers.
• Yummy Gastro-Bot (AI Restaurant Chatbot) AI-powered chatbot that provides personalized restaurant and gastronomy recommendations for the Düsseldorf area based on user queries.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Staatsanwaltschaft DuisburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production of the true-crime podcast 'Hinreichend verdächtig' ( Hinreichend verdächtig ) with the Duisburg public prosecutor's office. The podcast covers true criminal cases and the German legal system, with input from prosecutors on case backgrounds.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rponline
• YouTubeinstagram.com/rheinischepost
• Facebookfacebook.com/rponline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rheinische-post

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Rheinische Post