In 2024, the combined turnover for daily newspapers, free newspapers, and news magazines grew by 1.2 per cent to 13.9 billion Swedish kronor. In other words, the market remained stable. Behind the modest growth were factors such as higher subscription prices and a slightly larger number of digital subscribers. However, the development varied across different segments of the market.
The strongest performance came from the major national media companies, while many small and medium-sized local outlets faced tougher financial conditions.
Overall, the large national media houses were profitable in 2024 – as were the larger local ones. The combined turnover of the major media groups amounted to 12.1 billion Swedish kronor. Among smaller local news companies, the picture was more mixed: Several reported profits, while others struggled with significant losses.
“In the digital media market, size has become increasingly important. Larger media companies can coordinate resources and create more attractive packages for advertisers and readers. They can also spread technology costs across more units, which provides clear economies of scale”, says Tobias Lindberg, media researcher at Nordicom and author of the report.