German DooH Market: Bauer Media Group Acquires Eisbach Media

Bauer Media Group has reached an agreement with Swiss Goldbach Group to acquire Eisbach Media, formerly the DooH division of Goldbach Germany.

As is customary, the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Neither party has disclosed details of the deal, nor how Eisbach Media will be integrated into Bauer Media Group. Until the closing, both companies will continue to operate as usual and independently of one another.

A new player in the DooH market

With this acquisition, a new player with a strong European presence is entering the German DooH market. The major publisher has not been in the digital-out-of-home business for very long, but has a significant European presence thanks to its acquisition of Clear Channel’s UK and Northern European operations. This includes more than 15,000 DooH displays. In addition, Bauer has also covered the infrastructure side with its acquisition of Amscreen.

With the acquisition of Eisbach Media, Bauer gains extensive German DooH expertise and the marketing mandate for approximately 1,500 DooH screens in Germany. The portfolio includes, among other things, premium inventory in shopping centers, the Uber Platz in Berlin, and DCLPs at charging stations.

Claudia Zayer, Managing Director of Eisbach Media, comments: “Over the past year and a half, Eisbach Media has successfully established itself in Germany and built strong relationships with clients and agencies. The acquisition by the Bauer Media Group is a great recognition of our team’s achievements and creates a strong foundation for the further development of our business.”

Goldbach focuses on Switzerland

For the Goldbach Group, the sale of Eisbach Media is another step in its overall strategy. It has long been known that the parent company, TX Group – a publishing company like Bauer – intends to focus entirely on the Swiss market. The split of Goldbach Germany into Goldvertise and Eisbach Media already signaled the intention to sell.

“With Bauer Media, we’re handing the business over to a long-term-oriented owner who can further develop Eisbach Media’s business,” said Christoph Marty, CEO of the Goldbach Group, commenting on the sale. “I am convinced that Claudia Zayer and her team at the Bauer Media Group will continue on this successful path, and I thank her for the groundwork laid over the past few years.”

Entering the home market

The fact that the out-of-home advertising business is highly attractive to publishers has been demonstrated recently by, among other things, the NZZ’s stake in the Swiss APG|SGA and the integration of Framen into the Springer Group. In the UK, Bauer Media has already tested the integration of its publishing and radio businesses with its DooH division. Now the company has also gained a foothold in Germany, the key market in Europe.