Danish report: Backdrop for local news media, while TV moves forward

In 2019, Danish media had a total revenue of just over DKK 30 billion, while the number of employees counted in man-years amounted to just over 18,000. Thus, compared with 2016, revenue remained at the same level, while employment decreased by almost 5 per cent.

This is according to a new report on revenue and employment in Danish media companies, published in Danish under the title Omsætning og beskæftigelse i danske medievirksomheder [Revenue and employment in Danish media companies].

TV & streaming the largest on the market

Based on Danish media's total revenue in 2019, TV and streaming services accounted for 45 per cent, followed by written news and current affairs media with 25 per cent (Figure 1).

During the years 2016–2019, revenues for TV and streaming services increased by 4 per cent, while the written news and current affairs media decreased by 9 per cent.

Regional and local news media were hit hardest. Their total revenues and number of man-years decreased by 16 per cent during the same period. This while pure digital written news and current affairs media increased both revenues and the number of man-years by more than 50 per cent.

One-third of sales to foreign-owned media

In 2019, Danish-registered media companies with foreign owners accounted for almost a third, approximately DKK 10 billion, of the media industry revenue (Figure 2).

Examples of companies in this category are Denmark's largest commercial radio company Bauer (owned by German Bauer Media Group), NENT Group with Viaplay and the TV3 channels (Swedish NENT), Discovery Networks (American Discovery), TV producers such as Mastiff and Metronome (French Banijay), Berlingske Media (Belgian DPG Group) and Børsen (Swedish Bonnier).

Among Danish-owned media operations, the largest groups – those with a turnover of more than DKK 400 million per year – account for 38 per cent of total sales. Examples are the Egmont Group, TV 2, JP/Politikens Hus and Aller Media.

Smaller Danish-owned operations with an annual turnover of less than DKK 400 million account for 14 per cent, while publicly funded media operations – the largest of which is Danmarks Radio – account for 16 per cent of sales.

Eva Harrie