What Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA does

Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA is a privately held German media, services, and education conglomerate founded in 1835 and headquartered in Gütersloh. The company operates seven core divisions: RTL Group (broadcasting, streaming via RTL+ and M6+, and content production through Fremantle, reaching 8+ million paying subscribers and producing 11,000+ programming hours annually); Penguin Random House (world's largest trade book publisher, with 350+ imprints publishing 14,500 titles/year and selling 750+ million books); BMG (4th largest global music company managing 3+ million songs via the SYNC+ licensing platform); Arvato Group (B2B services including supply chain solutions, IT services via Arvato Systems, payment solutions via Riverty, and business processing via Arvato Connect, operating in 30+ countries); Bertelsmann Marketing Services (digital marketing agencies Territory and Campaign plus offset printing through Mohn Media, GGP Media, and Vogel Druck); Bertelsmann Education Group (Afya medical schools in Brazil, Relias healthcare training in the US, and Alliant International University); and Bertelsmann Investments (a global venture capital platform with $2.3 billion deployed across ~500 companies via BAI, BII, Futurepresent, BHI, and Bertelsmann Next).

Ownership is distinctive: 80.9% of capital shares are held indirectly by foundations (Bertelsmann Stiftung, Reinhard Mohn Stiftung, and related family foundations) and 19.1% by the Mohn family, with all voting rights controlled by Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft (BVG). For fiscal year 2025 the company reported €19 billion in revenue, €3,019 million in operating EBITDA adjusted, and €1,007 million in group profit, supported by 76,965 employees across approximately 50 countries.

The business model is a hybrid of consumer-facing subscription and advertising revenue (streaming and broadcasting), book royalties and direct sales, music licensing royalties, enterprise managed services contracts (Arvato), healthcare and education subscription fees (Relias), and venture capital returns. The 2026 strategic agenda includes the regulatory-approved acquisition of Sky Deutschland by RTL Group and a planned merger of BMG with Concord, both expected to reinforce the company's scale in European entertainment and global music.

Name

Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA

Legal name

Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA

Website

https://bertelsmann.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Bertelsmann is a privately held German media, services, and education conglomerate operating seven divisions (RTL Group, Penguin Random House, BMG, Arvato, Marketing Services, Education Group, and Investments) across ~50 countries, serving 76,965 employees and generating €19 billion in FY2025 revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media and Entertainment Conglomerate

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Other Publishers (51319), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Magnetic & Optical Recording Media (3695)

akta.pro primary industry

Books, Media, Collectibles & Hobby Marketplaces (CRAFABAL)

Keywords

• Media and entertainment services
• Trade book publishing
• Music publishing and licensing
• Supply chain management services
• Healthcare education and training

Headquarters

HQ city

Gütersloh

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Entertainment & Broadcasting (RTL Group): Revenue from television channels (52 TV channels, 40 radio stations), streaming services (RTL+, M6+ with 8+ million paying subscribers), and content production (Fremantle). Generates advertising revenue and subscription fees from streaming.
2. Book Publishing (Penguin Random House): Revenue from publishing approximately 14,500 new titles annually and selling over 750 million print books, e-books, and audiobooks through 350+ imprints globally.
3. Music Publishing & Recordings (BMG): Revenue from music publishing, recordings, sync & licensing of 3+ million songs and recordings. BMG represents artists like will.i.am, Tina Turner, Paul Simon.
4. Services (Arvato Group): Revenue from supply chain solutions, financial services (Riverty), IT services (Arvato Systems), and business processing services (Arvato Connect) for enterprise clients across 30+ countries.
5. Marketing Services (Bertelsmann Marketing Services): Revenue from digital marketing (Territory, Campaign, DeutschlandCard), offset printing (Mohn Media, GGP Media, Vogel Druck), book printing, storage media production (Sonopress), and packaging (Topac).
6. Education (Bertelsmann Education Group): Revenue from Afya (medical universities in Brazil, 32 medical schools, 25k+ students), Relias (4.5 million users, 11k+ healthcare customers in US), and Alliant University (110+ years, online/blended learning).
7. Venture Capital & Investments (Bertelsmann Investments): Returns from venture capital investments through BAI (200+ portfolio companies, 18+ IPOs, 40+ unicorns), BII (Eruditus, Licious, Shiprocket, etc.), Futurepresent (AI in US/EU), BHI (healthcare tech), and Bertelsmann Next (Applike, EMBRACE, cormeo, LetsTransport).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bertelsmann is a diversified media, services, and education conglomerate operating through seven core divisions: RTL Group (broadcasting, streaming, content production), Penguin Random House (trade book publishing), BMG (music publishing and recordings), Arvato Group (supply chain, financial services, IT services), Bertelsmann Marketing Services (digital marketing and printing), Bertelsmann Education Group (healthcare education and training), and Bertelsmann Investments (venture capital). The company sells entertainment content, books, music rights, enterprise services, educational programs, and investment vehicles to both consumers and business clients across approximately 50 countries.

Product overview

Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA is a diversified media, services, and education company structured as a platform-plus-divisions architecture. The core portfolio comprises seven major divisions: RTL Group (entertainment broadcasting, streaming, and content production including RTL+, M6+, and Fremantle), Penguin Random House (global book publishing), BMG (music publishing and recordings with SYNC+ platform), Arvato Group (supply chain, financial services via Riverty, IT services via Arvato Systems, and business processing via Arvato Connect), Bertelsmann Marketing Services (digital marketing and printing), Bertelsmann Education Group (healthcare and education including Relias, Afya, and Alliant University), and Bertelsmann Investments (global venture capital platform including BAI, BII, Futurepresent, BHI, and Bertelsmann Next). These divisions operate independently while sharing the Bertelsmann brand and corporate resources, with combined revenues of €19 billion and operations spanning approximately 50 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arvato: Supply chain solutions
• Riverty
• Arvato Systems
• ArvatoConnect
• Mohn Media
• GGP Media
• Vogel Druck
• Territory
• Campaign
• DeutschlandCard
• Sonopress
• Topac
• SYNC+
• Afya
• Relias
• Alliant International University
• Bertelsmann Asia Investments (BAI)
• Bertelsmann India Investments (BII)
• Futurepresent
• Bertelsmann Healthcare Investments (BHI)
• Bertelsmann Next

Quantifiable outcome

• 750 million+ books sold annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sky DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026RTL Group received antitrust approval to acquire Sky Deutschland in Q1 2026. This strategic acquisition will significantly strengthen Bertelsmann's entertainment portfolio in German-speaking markets, combining RTL's broadcast operations with Sky's premium pay-TV content.
• ConcordcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026BMG and Concord announced their planned combination in Q1 2026. This merger will create one of the world's largest music companies, combining BMG's artist-centric model with Concord's extensive music catalog and theater assets.
• Founders FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBertelsmann Stiftung supports the Founders Foundation, which initiated the 'Hinterland of Things' technology conference. CEO Thomas Rabe spoke at this conference as a guest speaker.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Warner Bros. Discovery: US-listed media conglomerate combining linear TV networks (CNN, HBO), streaming (Max/Discovery+), and film/TV production. Directly comparable to Bertelsmann's RTL Group and Fremantle operations; overlapping exposure to streaming migration risk and content production scale economics.
• Vivendi SE: Paris-based diversified media group controlling Universal Music Group, Canal+ Group, Havas, and Editis (book publishing). Closest European peer — analogous conglomerate structure spanning music, pay-TV, publishing, and advertising services with Bertelsmann.
• Paramount Global: US-listed media conglomerate with broadcast (CBS), streaming (Paramount+), and production (Paramount Pictures). Directly comparable to RTL Group across broadcast, streaming, and content production — similar scale and similar secular pressures.
• News Corp: Diversified media company with HarperCollins (world's #2 trade book publisher, direct competitor to Penguin Random House), Dow Jones, and News Corp Australia. Closest competitor in book publishing; similar heritage as a print-rooted media conglomerate.
• Sony Group Corporation: Japanese entertainment conglomerate with Sony Music (direct competitor to BMG), Sony Pictures, PlayStation gaming, and electronics. Comparable in music rights scale and entertainment IP orientation.
• Pearson plc: UK-listed education and publishing company focused on higher-education textbooks, assessment, and lifelong learning. Directly comparable to Penguin Random House's academic imprint portfolio and to Bertelsmann Education Group's Alliant University.
• RELX plc: UK-listed information-services conglomerate spanning scientific/medical publishing (Elsevier), legal information, and analytics. Comparable as a publishing-rooted diversified information services business with subscription-led enterprise revenue model.
• Lagardère SA: French-listed media group controlling Hachette Livre (world's #3 trade book publisher, direct competitor to Penguin Random House), Lagardère Travel Retail, and media assets. Most direct European book-publishing peer.

Broad incumbents

• The Walt Disney Company: Global entertainment conglomerate spanning broadcast (ABC/ESPN), streaming (Disney+/Hulu), film studios, and theme parks. Competes with Bertelsmann/RTL in content distribution and with BMG in music rights adjacent to film/TV.
• Comcast Corporation: US media conglomerate combining NBCUniversal broadcast networks, Peacock streaming, Sky (European pay-TV — direct comparator to Bertelsmann's Sky Deutschland acquisition), and Universal Studios. Overlapping media distribution and content production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CreateYourOwnCareer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA