Olympia-Verlag, owner of Germany’s most wide-reaching sports media brand kicker, its subsidiary kicker ventures GmbH, and the Ringier Sports Media Group AG (RSMG), part of the Ringier Group, have signed an agreement to establish the Swiss joint venture RSMG kicker Schweiz AG. Subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities, the transaction is expected to be completed, and the new offering will commence operations in fall 2025.
With this joint venture, the partners aim to develop a new digital sports ecosystem for Switzerland. The operational management of RSMG kicker Schweiz AG will be led by Markus Krienbühl, a recognized expert in the Swiss sports and media landscape and former media and communications manager as well as a member of the executive board of FC Luzern.
Robin Lingg, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RSMG, stated: “This joint venture combines the digital innovation and sports expertise of kicker with the local strength of sport.ch. With Markus Krienbühl – subject to approval – we have secured a Managing Director whose experience will be a key success factor. Under his leadership, we aim to build a digital offering that sets new standards and achieves sustainable growth.”
Bärbel Schnell, Managing Director of Olympia-Verlag GmbH, added: “Switzerland is a strategically important market for kicker, as kicker covers the entire DACH region. With the Ringier Sports Media Group, we have gained a strong partner with the local market knowledge critical to our success. At the same time, this creates an attractive offering for Swiss sports enthusiasts.”
Commercialisation
The marketing organization Ringier Advertising, already a marketing partner of kicker.ch and sport.ch, will also take on the commercial management of the new offering.
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About kicker
“Close to the action since 1920” – kicker has been passionately and competently following the ball since its inception. Twice a week, the print magazine takes its readers into the world’s stadiums, providing insights into players, clubs, and associations. Together with its digital offerings, including kicker.de, eMagazines, its own news and game apps, and podcasts, kicker reaches more than 17 million football and sports enthusiasts per month, making it Germany’s most widely consumed sports media brand.
About kicker ventures
kicker ventures GmbH consolidates the investment activities of Olympia-Verlag. The company focuses on innovative business cases in the DACH region, with an emphasis on the digital, technology, media, sports, and outdoor sectors. The team, led by Managing Directors Oliver Kühn and Werner Wittmann, supports scalable business ideas in the seed and start-up phases through strategic investments across various participation models.
About Olympia-Verlag
Olympia-Verlag encompasses the traditional brands kicker and Alpin. Its multimedia offerings reach more than 17 million people monthly. Through strategic partnerships and investments, Olympia-Verlag, via its subsidiary kicker ventures GmbH, promotes innovative business models in the sports and technology sectors. The company holds stakes in the eSports platform EarlyGame, the live content platform Tickaroo, and the digital voice assistant specialists at thinking apps. Through its subsidiary kicker sportsworld GmbH, Olympia-Verlag is expanding into other sports such as handball, basketball, and American football. Additionally, the Hamburg-based marketer Quarter Media, one of Germany’s largest sports media marketers, is part of the company. Founded in 1946, Olympia-Verlag is a wholly owned subsidiary of Verlag Nürnberger Presse GmbH & Co. KG, part of a family-owned corporate group.
About the Ringier Sports Media Group (RSMG)
Since its launch in 2022, RSMG merges top national sports media with innovative global tech. With 7 brands across 7 European countries, RSMG reaches more than 20 million fans with its platforms monthly – powered by more than 400 colleagues. Beyond its sports media brands, RSMG also operates its Content Managements System “Sportal.365” and maintains a strategic partnership with LiveScoreGroup. RSMG is continuously and strategically investing in sports media with the goal of achieving a prominent position through the consolidation of leading digital sports media brands. These brands currently include Sportal Media Group in Bulgaria with sportal.bg and Sportal365, gsp.ro in Romania, sportal.rs in Serbia, sportal.hu in Hungary, sport.sk in Slovakia, A Bola in Portugal and Sportnieuws.nl in the Netherlands. The strategic investment in the UK-based LiveScore Group in 2022 further underscores RSMG’s aspiration to build a leading European sports media player by 2025.
About sport.ch
sport.ch is a Swiss sports platform offering comprehensive coverage of various sports. It provides up-to-date news, live tickers, highlights, videos, and streams for disciplines such as football, ice hockey, tennis, and more. sport.ch was operated by Ringier Sports, a subsidiary of the Swiss media company Ringier, until early 2025, after which it was taken over by RSMG.
