Mediahuis NV, the seven-year-old, privately-owned Benelux media group which also publishes the Irish Independent, is acquiring Dutch media group NDC, publisher of the daily newspapers Dagblad van het Noorden, Leeuwarder Courant, Friesch Dagblad and dozens of regional newspapers and weekly magazines. NDC reaches more than 2 million people every week, in print and online. It has 600 employees, and a turnover of €112 million in 2019.
Mediahuis publishes daily newspapers in Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland, and owns Dutch and French language TV and radio stations.
Its €145m acquisition of the Irish Independent group in 2018 led to speculation that it would also seek to expand into the UK. It has been speculatively linked to the Telegraph Media Group whose family owners were known to be considering a sale process – before the outbreak of Covid-19.
In 2019, Mediahuis operating profit was €66m (19% up on 2018) on revenue of €857.9m (+39%). Net debt was €201m.
The deal (price undisclosed) is subject to the approval of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets.
