Observed Signal · Jul 29, 2026 · Measurement Release · Source: Meedia · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
MA Reach: Spiegel, Bild am Sonntag Biggest Losers
The MA Pressemedien II 2026 audience measurement shows broadly declining reach for German magazines and weekly newspapers. The largest absolute losses were recorded by Der Spiegel (−450,000 readers) and Bild am Sonntag (−430,000 readers), while ADAC Motorwelt and TV Spielfilm plus also suffered steep declines. Prisma remains the highest-reach title with 5.88 million readers per issue. Only nine of the top 50 titles gained reach versus the prior MA; notable gainers include lifestyle titles InStyle (+130,000 readers, +21.7%) and essen&trinken (+110,000 readers, +11.8%). Several program-guide titles (e.g., Hörzu, TV Movie) grew despite the overall downward trend.
MA reach declines signal reduced print audience and potentially lower print advertising inventory and revenues; notable losses among major weekly magazines affect media planning and publisher monetization strategies.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- MA Pressemedien II 2026 shows widespread declines in German magazine and weekly-newspaper reach.
- Der Spiegel lost 450,000 readers compared to the prior MA period.
- Bild am Sonntag lost 430,000 readers compared to the prior MA period.
- Prisma remains the top-reaching title with 5.88 million readers per issue.
- Lifestyle titles InStyle (+130,000, +21.7%) and essen&trinken (+110,000, +11.8%) were among the largest gainers.
Connected Companies & Entities
6 Entities mapped“The 'ADAC Motorwelt' lost 370,000 readers compared to the January MA, the 'Bild am Sonntag' 430,000 and 'TV Spielfilm plus' 240,000 (Die ‚AD...”
“MEEDIA reports on the billion-euro intersection where media and brands meet (MEEDIA berichtet über die Milliarden Euro schwere Schnittmenge,...”
“The highest-reach magazine within the MA analysis remains the TV supplement 'Prisma' — with 5.88 million readers per issue (Reichweitenstärk...”
“The biggest MA winners this time all come from the lifestyle segments: 'InStyle' gained 130,000 readers or 21.7 percent (Die größten MA-Gewi...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Handelsblatt, Tagesspiegel and B.Z. Gain Reach 2026
AGMA's MA Tageszeitungen 2026 shows mixed results: while overall readership trends remain downward, several titles grew reach year-on-year. Bild remains the largest daily with 5.81 million readers (down 4.4%). Notable reach gains were recorded for Handelsblatt, Tagesspiegel (now classified as an overregional paper), B.Z. and the Morgenpost for Sachsen; regional subscription combos such as RheinMainMedia Gesamt and the Stuttgarter Zeitung/Stuttgarter Nachrichten duo also improved. Losses were reported for titles including F.A.Z. (−5.0%), taz (−17.2%, now digital-only), Berliner Morgenpost, Ostsee Zeitung and Westdeutsche Zeitung. The report notes a methodological caveat: the MA base population fell from 71.00 to 70.03 million due to new microcensus figures, making small national declines (around 1.4%) expected.
Print MA: New reach data favors many publishers
Horizont reports that fresh readership numbers for magazines and daily newspapers (Print-MA) were published on July 29, 2026. The article notes that comparisons are difficult this cycle but says program magazines and regional newspapers have climbed in the rankings. A caption states that the 149 magazines listed in the MA reach almost two-thirds of the German-speaking population aged 14 and older. The piece references established measurement systems and statistics for circulation and reach, specifically IVW, MA and AWA, and frames the new figures as beneficial to many publishers.
LAE 2026: Manager Magazin, Wirtschaftswoche Top Winners
The Leitanalyse Entscheidende in Wirtschaft und Verwaltung (LAE) 2026 study, covering 3.066 million 'deciders' in business and administration, shows shifts in crossmedia and print reach among German news brands. Crossmedia winners (print + online) include Manager Magazin and Wirtschaftswoche, while Der Spiegel remains the largest brand overall but lost print readers and saw a small drop in percentage reach. Stern and Capital did not participate this year; Business Insider, Politico and Gründerszene (three Axel Springer online brands) and the TV broadcaster Welt are included for the first time with reported reach figures. Several newspapers and digital outlets (Handelsblatt, Süddeutsche Zeitung, F.A.Z., heise online) also recorded audience gains in either online or print segments.
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