Blue Ocean AG acquires Spanish children's magazine publisher Heinrich Bauer Ediciones

press release

Stuttgart, 14. September 2018 – Blue Ocean Entertainment AG is acquiring the Spanish publisher Heinrich Bauer Ediciones, S.L., S. en C., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bauer Media Group, retroactively to July 1, 2018. As part of the business transition, 20 employees and 16 magazines at the Madrid location will move under the roof of the Stuttgart children's media specialist, a subsidiary of Hubert Burda Media. Markus Semmel, long-standing CEO of Heinrich Bauer Ediciones, will continue to run the business until the end of the year and will subsequently remain with the company as a consultant.

Sigrun Kaiser, CEO of Blue Ocean Entertainment, comments: "Our acquisition is part of the growth strategy of Hubert Burda Media's National Media Brands division. Following the worldwide sublicensing of many of our titles in recent years and the founding of our first subsidiary in Poland at the beginning of 2018, Blue Ocean is now strategically continuing its international expansion with the acquisition of the Spanish business of the Bauer Media Group. Our new Spanish portfolio with the leading children's magazine CLAN, strong licensed magazines such as PAW PATROL, PJ MASKS, PEPPA PIG and, above all, the broad Disney range with titles such as FROZEN and LEGO STAR WARS carries so much potential that it will enable Blue Ocean to achieve ideal market expansion on the Iberian peninsula."

Jörg Hausendorf, Member of the Executive Board of Bauer Media Group, adds: "It is in line with our strategy to participate in the ongoing consolidation of the international magazine markets so that readers will continue to be entertained by outstanding magazine products in the future. In light of this strategy, we do not see ourselves as the best owner for our successful children's media portfolio in Spain. We are therefore pleased to have found in Blue Ocean Entertainment AG a trustworthy contractual partner with excellent know-how in this segment. A big thank you goes to our employees and to the CEO Markus Semmel, who has done outstanding work with his team."

Both publishers have agreed not to disclose the purchase price for Heinrich Bauer Ediciones, S.L., S. en C.

The execution of the purchase agreement is subject to the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities.

 

About the Blue Ocean Entertainment AG

Blue Ocean Entertainment AG is the market leader in the German children's magazine market. The Burda company currently publishes – mostly on the basis of licenses from the book, TV, film and toy sectors – around 60 regularly published magazines, including the segment frontrunner LEGO NINJAGO with over 220,000 copies sold per month (IVW 2/2018). The publishing portfolio includes products such as PRINZESSIN LILLIFEE, WAS IST WAS, BIBI BLOCKSBERG, FRAG DOCH MAL DIE MAUS and LÖWENZAHN as well as magazines for the play worlds of Playmobil, Simba and Schleich. Blue Ocean is also the global master publisher of the LEGO® Group. In addition to magazines, the publishing programme includes successful sticker and card collection series as well as apps and eBooks. Blue Ocean also licenses editorial content to numerous partner publishers in Europe, Asia and America. Blue Ocean currently employs 121 permanent staff at its headquarters in Stuttgart, with another six in Wroclaw, Poland. In 2017, company sales totalled EUR 74.3 million. Hubert Burda Media joined the company in 2014 and today holds around 90% of the shares, with co-founder & CEO Sigrun Kaiser holding the remaining 10%.

Press contact Blue Ocean Entertainment AG:


Simon Peter


Director Communications

Blue Ocean Entertainment AG

T + 49 711 220 299 12

peter.simon(at)blue-ocean-ag.de

About the Bauer Media Group

The Bauer Media Group is one of the world's most successful media companies. More than 700 magazines, over 400 digital products and 100+ radio and TV stations reach millions of people across the globe. The corporate portfolio extends to include print shops, postal, distribution and marketing services. The Bauer Media Group's global positioning underscores its passion for people and brands. The message "We think popular." illustrates the Bauer Media Group's self-perception as an organisation with a range of popular media, creating inspiration and motivation for its global workforce of some 11,500 employees worldwide.

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