Axel Springer buys eMarketer for $242m
Germany-based Axel Springer, owner of a number of digital properties including Business Insider, has acquired New York-based market research firm eMarketer for roughly $242m.
The move comes as Axel Springer aims to “expand digital activities in the English-speaking world,” specifically in the US. It also represents the company’s desire to move into the paid content space so it can rely less heavily on advertisers.
According to Axel Springer, “more than 1,000 firms are holding subscription contracts with eMarketer, among them most Fortune 500 companies.” The company added that about 81 percent of eMarketer’s revenues come from these subscription services. Last year, eMarketer brought in $45.5m in revenue.
Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer, said of the acquisition: “As more and more industries are facing the challenge of digitization, the smart creation, processing, and presentation of relevant market information is becoming increasingly important. eMarketer is a long-established, successful, and profitable publisher of high-quality digital market data and is excellently positioned to benefit from these market developments. The acquisition of eMarketer follows our strategy of expanding our US activities and strengthening our paid models.”
Last fall, Axel Springer acquired Business Insider for $343m. The media giant also owns Die Welt and Bild, two of Germany’s largest newspapers.