Summary

As of 2020, the global magazine market has faced significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with companies reorganizing their operations to cope with the impacts. Despite the difficulties, the market is expected to rebound with a projected growth from $188.94 billion in 2021 to $197.62 billion in 2022, a CAGR of +4.6 percent. Recovery is anticipated as this downturn is seen as a temporary setback rather than an indicator of ongoing market weaknesses. By 2026, the market is forecasted to reach $224.57 billion, growing at a rate of +3.2 percent. A key trend is the shift toward digital consumption of print and magazines, particularly in Italy, where online platforms for news and magazines have seen a noticeable increase in visitors, with groups like GEDI and Mondadori showing an average increase of +127% and +733%, respectively, from 2016 to 2022. This digital transition is driving market growth despite a decline in advertising revenue, with the print media ad revenue experiencing a significant downward trend since 2018..Digital Transition in Italian Magazine Consumption: A Persistent Trend Amidst Print Decline As the Italian market adjusts to the evolving preferences of readers, a distinct trend has emerged: the shift from print to digital magazine consumption. This trend is part of a broader digital transformation that is redefining the way Italians engage with periodicals. The onset of this transition is evidenced by the robust growth of digital magazine revenues, which saw a 7% increase in 2018. Although this upsurge signifies the market's adaptability, it is not sufficient to fully counterbalance the declining revenues from print magazine sales. Revenues from the sale of print copies experienced a substantial dip of over 11.3% in 2018, illuminating the ongoing challenges faced by the traditional print segment. Compounding this issue, the Italian market's total turnover for magazine and periodical publishing under ATECO 58.14 declined by approximately 25% over an 8-year period leading up to 2019, plummeting from the range of €2800 million to around €2100 million. Similarly, the distribution of newspapers under the category ATECO 18.11 has witnessed a substantial fall, with turnover halving from over €500 million to approximately €260 million between 2010 and 2019. Furthermore, advertising revenue—a crucial source of funding for the sector—has undergone a stark reduction. The advertising revenue for weekly magazines, for instance, saw a significant year-on-year contraction, notably from 2020 to 2021, with financial figures reflecting a trend of persistent decline. The magazine market in Italy, traditionally sustained by sales of TV magazines and periodicals catering to interests such as automotive and home decor, now confronts a transformative phase. Consumers over the age of 64 constitute a large segment of weekly magazine readers, with individuals aged between 35 and 64 dominating the readership of popular monthlies. On the digital front, online platforms have experienced an unprecedented surge in visits. Notables such as GEDI and Mondadori report increases in daily unique users by 127% and a staggering 733%, respectively, from 2016 to 2022. Italian publishers are engaging with these trends through offerings aimed at wooing more customers to digital magazines. These include discounted rates and promotions like free subscriptions for initial months, in a bid to expand the customer base and enhance retention rates in the foreseeable future. Magazine prices have showcased a moderate upswing, affecting consumer indexes for periodicals with an increase of about 14.### Key Players Shaping the Italian Magazine Market Landscape The Italian magazine market is characterized by the presence of several influential publishers, each with a unique portfolio of periodical titles that cater to diverse interests, from current affairs to automotive and women's lifestyle. These publishers have established their dominance in the industry by offering a mix of content that appeals to a broad spectrum of readers. Below, we explore some of the primary entities that are central to the tapestry of the Italian magazine landscape. **Cairo Publisher** – A media powerhouse, Cairo Publisher boasts a rich assortment of publications, including a range of TV magazines like Dipiù and TV Mia, which dominate the television program niche. The publisher also dabbles in various other genres, offering periodicals like Airone for nature enthusiasts, Bell'Europa and In viaggio for travel aficionados, and Gardenia for those with a green thumb. **GEDI Publishing Group** – As one of the heavyweights in the industry, GEDI Publishing Group manages a multifaceted portfolio including prestigious titles such as la Repubblica and La Stampa, while extending its reach into scientific realms with Le Scienze and to geo-political discourse with Limes. They also contribute to the digital domain with online platforms such as HuffPost Italia. **Hearst Magazine Italy** – With an eye on the fashion and lifestyle sectors, Hearst Magazine Italy publishes renowned titles like Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire, catering primarily to fashion-forward readers and modern lifestyle enthusiasts. Their commitment to quality content is also evident in specialized publications such as Runner's World and Men's Health, targeting health and fitness communities. **Caltagirone Publisher** – Caltagirone stands out with a strong regional focus, managing newspapers like Il Messaggero di Roma and Il Gazzettino di Venezia. They provide readers with local news and information while also reaching audiences nationwide with broader publications. **The 24 Hours Group** – Engaging with the business and financial sectors, The 24 Hours Group delivers in-depth economic insights through its flagship title Il Sole 24 ORE. Their repertoire also includes investigative journalism with Il Post and catering to the spiritual community with Famiglia Cristiana. **Class Editori** – This publisher strikes a chord with the financially savvy and fashion-conscious through publications like MF/Milano Finanza and MFFashion. Their portfolio extends to gourmet dining with Gambero Rosso and covers the luxury sector with titles such as Gentleman, offering a sartorial guide for
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  • Number of pages : 30 pages
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  • Last update : 13/05/2022
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Summary and extracts

1 Market Overview

1.1 Definition and presentation

A magazine is a periodical publication printed in glossy, opaque paper. Magazines are generally published on a regular schedule and contain a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or a combination of the three. Nowadays, there is a growing trend in digitization of magazines, which are generally provided by publishers in two formats: print and digital. Then, thanks to specific platforms, the same content can be accessed while paying a lower fee, as digital versions cut paper and printing costs. The magazine market can be segmented by type (print and digital), topic, and geographic landscape.

The global magazine market has been valued at $70.3 billion in 2021, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1 percent over the period from 2021 to 2025.

In Italy, more than in other countries, the shift in format choice from print to digital versions can be assessed. In fact, revenues from copy sales decreased by -11.3% in 2018, and are expected to continue to decline in the coming years. On the other hand, for the digital version of magazines, revenue increased by 7% in 2018, and is expected to surpass the print version by the end of 2021. However, this will not be enough to counter the decline of the print version of magazines. As a result, the market will experience a slight inflection in 2019-2023.

On the other hand, it is possible to see how publishers are making efforts to target more customers for digital magazines. Thus, by discounting rates or making the first few months of subscription available for free, publishers are managing to broaden their customer base and, therefore, the number of customers they will be able to retain in the future.

1.2 The world market will recover from the shock due to the pandemic

The global newspaper and magazine market is expected to grow from $***.** billion in **** to $***.** billion in ****, a CAGR of +*.* percent. The growth is mainly due to the fact that companies are reorganizing their operations and recovering from the impact of COVID-**, which previously led to restrictive containment measures involving social distance, ...

1.3 The national print market and the share of magazines

As of February ****, there are *** titles in the Italian press as a whole, broken down as follows:

There are ** daily titles There are ** weekly titles There are ** monthly newspapers

We will analyze the various titles offered in the supply analysis section. In the meantime, we consider weekly and monthly periodicals as ...

1.4 Magazine and periodical publishing in Italy and the decline in advertising revenue

The following data are for the activity registered under ATECO **.** Publishing of magazines and periodicals. We immediately note a fairly sharp decline since ****: the sector's national turnover has fallen from €**** million in **** to €**** million in ****, experiencing a -**% change in only * years.

Chiffre d'affaires de l'édition de magazines et périodiques Italie, ...

2 Demand analysis

2.1 Most-read weeklies and monthlies in Italy: titles and categories

In the tables below we see the details of the categories of magazines Italians like the most, analyzing the February **** sales for weeklies and monthlies.

The most successful weekly magazines are TV, women's, news, and gossip magazines, while the most popular monthly magazines are automotive, travel, and interior design magazines.

Source: ...

2.2 Question typology: the Italian reader

The age of readers

To analyze the type of Italian magazine readers, we take data from seven of the most widely read magazines in the country and representative of the most popular categories. In the graphs below, we read that seniors over ** years of age make up the majority of weekly ...

2.3 Trend: The transition to digital print consumption has begun

The biggest trend we can see, in Italy as well as worldwide, is the digital consumption of print and magazines. In the graph below, we can read the huge increase in visits to the main online news and magazine platforms: the most important long-term changes have been in the GEDI and ...

3 Market structure

3.1 Newspaper printing in Italy

The following data refer to the market registered by the Italian government under ATECO **.** "Printing of newspapers," which includes the printing of other periodicals, published at least four times a week.

We note that the sector has been experiencing a steady decrease in its turnover for several years : from ***.* million euros ...

3.2 The retail trade of magazines

The following data refer to ATECO **.** "Retail sale of newspapers and stationery in specialized establishments," which includes retail trade in newspapers, magazines and periodicals.

Turnover in the sector has also halved for the past ** years from €*** million total in **** to €**** million in **** for a change of -** percent, while the number ...

3.3 Distribution channels

There are basically three distribution channels for magazines, listed in the table below:

[***]

4 Supply analysis

4.1 The Italian supply of journals

The supply of magazines in Italy is very diverse. We can divide magazines into traditional categories:

4.2 Market prices charged and production costs

The evolution of the consumer index for newspapers, magazines and periodicals

The price index related to daily newspapers has not varied that much in the last year, but it has increased in total by +**.*% from **** to ****, which represents a slow but steady increase. On the other hand, as for magazines, their ...

5 Regulations

5.1 Italian law

The current regulatory framework governing the press distribution sector throughout the country is established by Legislative Decree No. *** of April **, ****, on the "Reorganization of the circulation system of the daily and periodical press, pursuant to Article * of Law No. *** of April **, ****."

The provisions contained in this decree partly replaced those contained ...

6 Positioning of actors

6.1 Segmentation of actors

  • Mondadori Media
  • Cairo Editore
  • GEDI Gruppo Editoriale
  • Hearst Magazines Italia
  • Gruppo 24
  • ClassEditori

List of charts

  • Newspaper printing turnover
  • Newspaper printing employment
  • Newspaper retail turnover
  • Number of enterprises and employees in the newspaper retail trade
  • Consumer price index for newspapers, magazines and periodicals
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Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

Mondadori Media
Cairo Editore
GEDI Gruppo Editoriale
Hearst Magazines Italia
Gruppo 24
ClassEditori

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