Bertelsmann Achieves Record Operating Result in First Half of 2021

Bertelsmann closed the first half of 2021 with a record operating result (Operating EBITDA) of €1.4 billion. The international media, services, and education company generated revenues significantly above the previous year’s and pre-Corona levels, as well as its highest Group result in 19 years. Four of the eight business units each recorded double-digit organic growth rates. For the full year, the company expects its business to continue to develop positively and anticipates Group profit of close to two billion euros.

Bertelsmann’s first-half consolidated revenues increased by 10.7 percent over the previous year to €8.7 billion (H1 2020: €7.8 billion). Organic growth was 16.6 percent year-on-year, and 7.1 percent compared to the pre-Corona year 2019. The RTL Group, Penguin Random House, Gruner + Jahr, and Arvato divisions each recorded double-digit organic-growth rates.

Operating EBITDA improved significantly to €1.4 billion (H1 2020: €1.0 billion), marking a new record. RTL Group, Penguin Random House and Arvato once again proved to be the strongest earnings pillars in the Bertelsmann Group.

At €1.4 billion, group profit already exceeded the billion-euro threshold after six months of the current financial year, the highest figure since the Group’s sale of its AOL Europe shares in 2002. Besides the positive earnings trend, this increase was also due to gains on disposals.

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe commented: “The first half of 2021 went very well for Bertelsmann. In particular, our three major revenue mainstays, RTL Group, Penguin Random House, and Arvato, saw significant gains. The Bertelsmann Investments portfolio increased in value and made a high contribution to earnings. We made good progress in executing our strategy: With the planned merger of our French TV subsidiary Groupe M6 with Groupe TF1, and of RTL Nederland with Talpa, as well as with the planned merger of RTL Deutschland and Gruner + Jahr, we have made great strides in creating national media champions. Bertelsmann is a key driver of consolidation in Europe’s media markets in the competition with the global tech platforms.”
details at: https://www.bertelsmann.com/news-and-media/news/bertelsmann-achieves-record-operating-result-in-first-half-of-2021.jsp?atn=2862170&abp=2862170,2862222,

Related Posts

New Bloomsbury acquisition strengthens Bloomsbury Digital Resources division

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc announces that it has signed a sale and purchase agreement for the acquisition of certain assets of Red Globe Press (“RGP”), the academic imprint, from Macmillan Education Limited, a part of Springer Nature Group. The consideration is £3.7 million, of which £2.1 million will be satisfied in cash at completion and up to £1.6 million will be paid on or post-completion, subject to assignment of certain contracts. RGP specialises in high-quality publishing for Higher Education students globally in Humanities and Social Sciences, Business and Management, and Study Skills. RGP has a backlist of more than 7,000 titles and publishes more than 100 new titles per year, with content including digital platforms, textbooks, research-driven materials and general academic publishing. The acquired RGP titles are a good strategic fit, strengthen Bloomsbury’s existing academic publishing, and establish new areas of academic publishing in Business and Management, Study Skills and Psychology. RGP’s three digital products will be migrated to Bloomsbury Digital Resources’ own platform and its content added to Bloomsbury Collections. The business will operate within Bloomsbury’s Academic and Professional division.

New Media Champion: RTL Deutschland and G+J to Join Forces

The media companies RTL Deutschland and Gruner + Jahr are joining forces to form a new national cross-media champion. The decision follows a review process lasting several months, with the aim of deepening the successful collaboration between the country’s leading private TV, radio, and streaming group and the publishing house with its powerful brands. The new company will start operating as one at the beginning of next year. Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe says: “The relevant bodies, RTL Group’s Board, and Bertelsmann’s Executive Board and Supervisory Board, have come to the conclusion that RTL Deutschland and G+J can better exploit their growth potential together. By forming this national media champion, Bertelsmann is implementing its strategic priorities as it has already done in France, the Netherlands and Belgium. This will strengthen our media businesses in the German market in the competition with the global tech platforms,” Rabe continued, “No other media company in this country can create such a cross-genre growth alliance. RTL Deutschland and G+J are a content powerhouse that combines the content expertise of 1,500 journalists, among other things. The companies bring together strong content and brands across the various media under one roof. This will generate annual synergies of around 100 million euros – largely due to growth.”

Preview of 2022 UPS Rates

Effective December 26, 2021, the published rates for our services will increase. This helps to support ongoing expansion and capability enhancements as we strive to maintain the high service levels you expect from UPS. Below is an overview of our 2022 Rates*. Package - The following changes will be effective December 26, 2021: The rates for UPS® Ground, UPS Air and International services will increase an average net 5.9% The following changes will be effective January 9, 2022: The Peak Surcharges will be renamed Peak/Demand Surcharges; The list of Zip Codes to which Area Surcharges apply will change. See updated Zip Code listings. details at: https://www.ups.com/us/en/shipping/rates-update.page?
Back To Top
×Close search
Search