BILD tests daily soccer tabloid with regional audience

By Frank Mahlberg

BILD and FUSSBALL BILD

Berlin, Germany

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Since 1952, many Germans have relied on BILD, Europe’s largest daily newspaper, as their main news source. BILD delivers timely, relevant information seven days a week, forging a close bond with its readers.

BILD is known to deliver the news spot-on all the time — be it the U.S. presidential race, international breaking news, the latest Hollywood drama, or local political scandals. Families in northern Hamburg, bankers in Frankfurt, or students in the east all purchase their regional editions of BILD, which retail for €.70- €.90.

We strongly believe that now is the perfect point in time to launch BILD’s new daily soccer newspaper, FUSSBALL BILD, indicated by growing German enthusiasm for soccer and a recent regional test launch.

The first edition of FUSSBALL BILD was published on August 26, 2016, and featured a detailed infographic of the Allianz Arena.
The first edition of FUSSBALL BILD was published on August 26, 2016, and featured a detailed infographic of the Allianz Arena.

The BILD brand reaches more than 38 million people every month, more than half of the population of Germany. And more than 10 million Germans read the printed BILD newspaper every single day. BILDs line of digital products has grown just as strong or even stronger in terms of reach: The BILD Web site has 22.4 million unique visitors, while the BILD app has been installed more than 7 million times.

BILD reaches all segments of German society with broad-ranging topics from “Brexit” to “Brangelina,” and BILD’s soccer coverage has traditionally been one its strongest selling points at the newsstands.

Germans’ love for soccer has kindled a new sense of national pride when the country hosted the World Cup in 2006 and spiked with the world championship in 2014. BILD caters to this love of soccer with its world class editorial expertise and strong reporter base covering the nation’s many regional teams and leagues.

Commercially, the 85% price increase for the 2017 to 2020 Bundesliga rights reflects this growing importance of soccer. Elsewhere in Europe, successful daily sports newspapers have been part of the publishing landscape for many years.

Germany, however, still has lacked a print publication to inform, entertain, and unite soccer fans. This is why we are launching FUSSBALL BILD, published Monday through Saturday in the so-called “Berliner format,” a broadsheet newspaper slightly shorter and narrower than the regular edition of BILD, but with a strong tradition as a regional newspaper format across Germany.

At a single-copy price of €1, FUSSBALL BILD delivers 24 pages of action-packed hard-hitting sports coverage, featuring BILDs unique editorial take on all things soccer.

“It has always been a dream of this editorial team to create a daily sports newspaper, as these have existed in Spain, Italy, and France for years already. With FUSSBALL BILD, we want to give fans their daily dose of soccer and close a market gap,” says Matthias Brügelmann, editor-in-chief of FUSSBALL BILD.

FUSSBALL BILD scores with a unique content concept. Its core is built up with content from the central BILD sports desk and its 20 regional editions. So it combines the best content from all BILD platforms to create an exciting new product.

This is complemented by additional original content: an exclusive daily commentary on FUSSBALL BILD’s front page, extensive infographics, and features that investigate the great moments in soccer history.

In this manner, BILD curates a new special-interest print product by using content syndication to keep editorial costs low, yet also adds tremendous value to capture an entirely new audience.

By efficiently using existing content, BILD enhances its decades-long competence in sports journalism.

BILD began testing Germany’s first daily soccer newspaper in large parts of Bavaria and the greater Stuttgart metropolitan area for four months from August 26 throughout the 2016 Bundesliga season. FUSSBALL BILD was promoted on all advertising channels: radio, out-of-home, print, online, promotions, and at the point-of-sale.

So far, FUSSBALL BILD has already shown incredible potential in winning new soccer-focused readers, even while allowing for some shift in purchases from BILD to FUSSBALL BILD.

Following this test run, BILD will consider a national launch, as FUSSBALL BILD may be able to stabilise BILD’s advertising reach in national marketing.

About Frank Mahlberg

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