Ringier AG, an innovative Swiss media company, acquired the majority of Sportal Media Group, a leading Balkan sports publisher.
Swiss Ringier Acquires a Majority Stake of Balkan’s Sportal
Ringier AG has expanded its sports media coverage by acquiring a majority stake in Sportal Media Group, a well-known sports publisher in the Balkans. The deal comes after a successful long-term partnership between the two companies, which launched Ringier Sportal in Romania.
Head Global Media of Ringier AG, Ladina Heimgartner, stated that this investment is a big step for the company. This deal is a very significant move for the future of Ringier’s Global Media Division.
“I am convinced that Ringier’s strong global publishing experience and Sportal’s digital platform know-how is a perfect fit to set innovative standards in sports media globally,” said Heimgartner.
Sportal Sets Foot on the Global Stage of Sports Media
According to Sportal’s CEO, Stilian Shishkov, Sportal and Ringier will work together to bring digital brands to a whole new level and make them more appealing to their audience. He said that this deal marks the beginning of a new chapter for Sportal, which will go beyond publishing. Sportal will bring its originality and sports media platform know-how to the industry’s global stage.
The takeover is planned for the second quarter of 2021, stated Ringier. The investment will seek to improve on the dominant role Sportal has through the Balkan media coverage and further develop Digital Ventures. It is the technology studio behind Sportal365, a publishing portal and next-generation sports content management system, offering news, videos, live statistics, and live results. The portal will attract stakeholders in sports globally, Ringier outlined.
About Ringier AG and Sportal
Ringier AG is a Zurich-based Swiss media company, which operates in Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is known as a pioneer and innovator, active for more than 185 years. The company is digitalized and diversified, looking for the best opportunities and strategies in e-commerce and entertainment while staying committed to freedom of expression and independence.
Since launching in 2006, Sportal has become a leader among European publishers with its wide-range coverage, a portfolio consisting of sports, politics, and entertainment content on over 24 websites. On the Bulgarian sports market, Sportal.bg generates 85+ million page views, reaching 55% of the total online viewership.