Nordicom has released new factsheets detailing the largest media and newspaper companies in the Nordic region. The Nordic media research centre has also compiled a comprehensive overview of key publicly funded studies on media habits and Internet use across the Nordics.
Leading Media Companies: Spotify and Telecom Giants Dominate
In 2023, four of the five largest media companies in the Nordic region by revenue were telecommunications firms, underscoring the growing convergence of digital services and media. The Swedish streaming service Spotify retained its position as the largest media company, followed by Telia Company and Telenor. Despite being publicly traded, both Telia Company and Telenor have significant state ownership, with the Swedish and Norwegian governments as their largest individual shareholders. In total, 8 of the 25 largest media companies in the Nordics are under direct or indirect state control, including six national public service broadcasters.
Among key industry shifts, Viaplay Group saw a revised ownership structure in 2023–2024, with French Canal Plus and Czech PPF Group securing significant stakes in the company.
Nordic Newspaper Market: Bonnier News Leads Amidst Profit Challenges
The Nordic newspaper industry continues to experience ownership concentration, with the ten largest newspaper companies publishing approximately 480 newspapers combined. Sweden’s Bonnier News emerged as the largest player in 2023, generating 853 million euros in revenue. Other dominant companies included Norway’s Schibsted News Media, Finland’s Sanoma Media, and Denmark’s JP/Politikens Hus.
Despite their market dominance, the economic landscape in 2023 proved challenging for newspaper companies. While six of the ten largest firms reported positive financial results, profit margins were generally weaker compared with the previous year, reflecting broader industry struggles with advertising revenues and digital transitions.
Digital Media and Internet Usage Trends in the Nordics
Alongside its industry rankings, Nordicom has also released a new mapping of media habits and Internet use in the Nordic region. This factsheet compiles key publicly funded studies that track digital consumption patterns, offering insights into changing media behaviour across the Nordic countries.
Regular media usage surveys are conducted in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, though variations in methodology make cross-country comparisons challenging. For instance, in Sweden, Nordicom and the SOM Institute provide detailed statistics on media trust and consumption, while Statistics Sweden (SCB) and the Swedish Internet Foundation focus on IT and Internet usage. Norway tracks extensive media usage through reports such as the Norwegian Media Barometer, while Denmark and Finland rely on multiple research organisations. Iceland lacks systematic studies on media habits.
International Comparisons and Challenges
For broader comparisons, international surveys often include the Nordic region. The Eurobarometer and Eurostat’s measurements of Internet use offer EU-wide insights, while the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report provides a global perspective on news consumption.
However, conducting international media surveys presents significant practical and methodological challenges. Even with standardised questionnaires and harmonised methods, cultural differences, diverse media landscapes, and variations in technological infrastructure can influence both data collection and interpretation. Despite these complexities, such surveys remain indispensable for identifying cross-national trends and understanding variations in media behaviours, emphasise Nordicom’s researchers behind the factsheet on media usage in the Nordic countries.
Read the full reports:
➡ The 25 Largest Media Companies in the Nordics by Revenue (2023)
➡ The 10 Largest Newspaper Companies in the Nordics by Revenue (2023)