Bauer Media Group
Bauer Media Group, officially Heinrich Bauer Verlags KG, is a major German media conglomerate headquartered in Hamburg with global operations. The company operates across print, digital, radio, and television sectors, publishing more than 600 magazines, over 400 digital products, and operating approximately 50 radio and television stations. With annual revenue of approximately 2.2 billion euros (2022) and approximately 12,000 employees, Bauer ranks among Europe's largest publishing houses and is one of Germany's largest magazine publishers. Bauer Media Group operates as a limited partnership (Kommanditgesellschaft) under the ownership of Yvonne Bauer, who holds 85% of shares and has served as CEO since 2010.
The publisher operates numerous influential media brands across segments including women's interest, entertainment, health, television, food, and special interest publications such as Cosmopolitan, TV Hören und Sehen, Closer, and Grazia (United Kingdom). Through the breadth and distribution of its media properties, Bauer significantly shapes public opinion across several European countries. In recent years, Bauer has expanded into out-of-home advertising, particularly following the acquisition of Clear Channel Europe in 2025. The company also invests in digital platforms, online comparison portals, and marketing services.
The Bauer family history extends to 1875. The company's history includes documented involvement with National Socialism, during which the publisher benefited from the political circumstances and functioned as a propaganda instrument. Particular focus has been placed on the television program guide Funkwacht, published by Bauer from 1928 onwards, which became the largest program guide of the Nazi era through adherence to Nazi party political lines. The company has announced plans to address this period through historical research. Beyond magazine publishing, Bauer holds stakes in daily newspapers and operates television and radio stations, including RTL Zwei and Radio Hamburg, further extending its media reach and influence.
In 2020, Bauer announced the acquisition of the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, whose editorial office has since been increasingly merged with the Magdeburger Volksstimme. During the coronavirus pandemic, the Bauer Media Group withdrew completely from its business in New Zealand to protest the lack of government aid. This caused great outrage among the New Zealand public, with President Jacinda Ardern also criticizing the Bauer Media Group's withdrawal.
The Bauer Media Group operates in the Irish market through its subsidiary Bauer Media Audio Ireland. Through the acquisition of Communicorp, Ireland's largest independent radio group, Bauer has established a strong presence. Since June 2021, Bauer has added two more stations to its group, Cork's RedFM in November 2022 and iRadio in August 2023.
Through this acquisition, the Bauer Media Group also acquired the country's only national radio news service.
Key Facts
| Business Form | Commercial / For-profit |
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| Legal Form | Limited Liability Company |
| Business Sectors | Media; Logistics |
Ownership
| Individual Owner | |
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| Group / Individual Owner |
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Media Outlets
Other Media Outlets
| Other TV Outlets | RTL II |
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| Other Radio Outlets | Radio Hamburg Today FM (Ireland) Absolute Radio (UK) Pop FM (Danmark) Iskelmä (Finland) Radio Norge (Norway) RMF (Poland) Radio Comercial (Portugal) Europa 2 (Slovakia) Svenske Pop (Sweden) |
| Other Online Outlets | www.caravan.fm www.autozeitung.de |
| Other Print Outlets | Through Mitteldeutscher Zeitungsverlag: Magazines: Bravo |
Facts
| Other Media Businesses | Publishing:
TV broadcasting: Radio broadcasting: Out-of-Home Advertising: |
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| Other Domestic Businesses | Real Estate: Bauer Property GmbH & Co. KG (100%) |
| Other International Businesses | Media: |
| Founding Year | 1875 Founded in 1875 by lithographer Johann Andreas Ludolph Bauer as a printing business and paper trading company. From 1917 to 1925, the company briefly ventured into the book trade. However, the publisher did not grow to significant national prominence until the Nazi period, in part through the publication of Funk-Wacht, the largest German-language program guide of that era. |
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| Founder |
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| Employees | 9,983 |
| Contact | Burchardstraße 11 20077 Hamburg Germany presse@bauermedia.com +49 40 3019-0 https://www.bauermedia.de/ |
| Tax / ID Number | Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG Limited partnership with limited liability company as general partner DE 118908077 Commercial Register Hamburg HRA 2968 |
| Revenue | EUR 2.165.869.097 / USD 2.339.138.624(2023) |
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| Operating Profit | Missing Data |
| Advertising (in % of total funding) | Missing Data |
| Executive Board |
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| Non-Executive Board |
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| Other Influential People |
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