Sales at Mediengruppe Nikkei: The “Financial Times” is Japanese – Neue Zürcher Zeitung

The “Financial Times” copes with how little other media to structural change. The sale by the education group Pearson is not a farewell to the media industry, but should be an opportunity for the “FT”.

At the end won the journalistic professionalism: That the education group Pearson, the salmon-colored traditional newspaper “Financial Times” (“FT”) sold to the Japanese media group Nikkei, standing in the ” FT »similar to clarify how they would otherwise report an x-arbitrary Acquisition. The sale of the British financial journal came as a surprise, even if there had been speculation in other media. In addition Nikkei also the Axel-Springer-Verlag interest had been shown.

Focus on Education

Nikkei will take over for 844 million pounds in cash, the FT Group, which includes the newspaper, FT. com and other publications include. For sale does not include the 50-percent stake in the weekly magazine “Economist”. That could be the Pearson founded in 1888 “FT” sell for several years haunted around as a rumor. The flagship of the British quality journalism was increasingly becoming a foreign body in the Group, which developed from a publishing an education company with a large, but angeknacksten foothold in the United States. Recently it had been called at Pearson that the icon “Financial Times” not up for sale. Rather, the mark is to be used for educational programs. From this conviction, we have separated. The revenue could be used in addition to investments for a debt reduction.

Global radiance

With a turnover of 334 million pounds and an operating profit of 24 million pounds in 2014, the purchase price for the displayed FT Group, especially as the “Economist” interest is not present high. The “FT” Nikkei receives but based on the widespread use of the English language media brand with global appeal, the masters how little other media titles to structural change in the media industry and can ummünzen digital business in revenue. Over the past five years, the printed and digital edition rose by 30 percent to 737 000 to which the digital subscribers currently account for 70 percent.

The “FT” hopes with the new owner in the digital transformation and growth to be able to invest, what with Pearson was less and less possible. The journalistic independence should be guaranteed by Nikkei, which would be a prerequisite for a successful continuation.