DLA Piper advises on sale of Nordwest Mediengruppe to Madsack
Led by Sebastian Decker (PICTURED) and Robert Fischer-Sonnberg, a team from DLA Piper has advised on the sale of Nordwest Mediengruppe to Madsack Mediengruppe, following receipt of antitrust clearance. The transaction was completed in early January 2026.
As part of the deal, Madsack has acquired Nordwest Mediengruppe’s publishing business, including the daily newspaper titles Nordwest-Zeitung, Emder Zeitung and Anzeiger für Harlingerland. The acquisition also covers the group’s entire weekly newspaper portfolio, all content-related digital offerings, as well as its printing, logistics and related service operations.
Headquartered in Oldenburg, Nordwest Mediengruppe is one of the largest regional media companies in northern Germany. The group generates annual revenues of more than €120m, serves nearly 120,000 subscribers and records around five million monthly online page views. In addition to its publishing activities, it operates in-house printing and logistics services and holds interests in several publishing-related service companies.
Madsack Mediengruppe’s portfolio includes 20 newspaper titles, the nationwide editorial network RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), high-reach digital platforms and advertising publications. The group also owns a number of subsidiaries specialising in publishing services, as well as investments and in-house ventures spanning film and television production, digital business, postal and logistics services, and advertising and communications.
Commenting on the transaction, Stephanie von Unruh and Thorben Meiners, managing directors of the Nordwest Mediengruppe holding companies, said the DLA Piper team had successfully guided the parties through a complex carve-out process within an ambitious timeframe, highlighting the firm’s structured approach and transactional expertise.
DLA Piper advised the Nordwest Mediengruppe holdings under the leadership of partner Sebastian Decker and senior associate Robert Fischer-Sonnberg (both Corporate/M&A, Hamburg). The wider team included lawyers from the firm’s IP, IT, antitrust, employment and restructuring practices across several German offices.
