24sata has the highest circulation revenue, Jutarnji list the highest print advertising revenue whereas 7Dnevno and Međimurje are best sold weeklies

The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) carried out its regular market investigation into the Croatian press publishing market in 2017 with the view to defining the market shares of the relevant market participants.

The market study involved the following markets: press circulation (general information dailies and weeklies), print advertising in general information dailies and weeklies and press distribution in the territory of the Republic of Croatia and included a total of 43 newspaper publishers and distributors.

The market shares in the relevant markets concerned were defined on the basis of paid circulation – the number of copies sold and revenues realized by the undertakings concerned in the press advertising market, wholesale and retail distribution.

Daily newspapers paid circulation market

There were 66.1 million copies of general information dailies sold in Croatia in 2017. In comparison with the preceding year this was a fall by 10 %.

Like in the last four years, the daily “24sata” had the highest circulation in 2017. Its market share was between 30 % and 40 %. The market leader was followed by the “Jutrarnji list” holding a market share of 20 % to 30 %, whereas the third place on the circulation list was taken by the “Večernji list” whose market share was between 10 % and 20 %. The circulation figures of all the dailies declined in comparison with the previous year.

Worth mentioning was the paid circulation of the “Slobodna Dalmacija” and the “Novi list” (Glas Istre), that are both regional dailies and both recorded a circulation shrinkage compared with 2016. Their market shares were from 5 % to 10 %.

The ownership structure reveals that the highest share of some 50 % to 60 % in the general information daily newspapers market (“24sata” and “Večernji list”) in 2017 was held by Styria AG, whereas its market share slightly increased compared with the previous year.

The market share of the “Jutarnji list” and the “Slobodna Dalmacija” of Hanza Media was 30 % to 40 % in the general information daily newspapers market in 2017 and thereby indicated a slight decrease in the combined market share.

The third group – Glas Istre, owning the publishers of the “Novi list”, “Glas Istre” and “Zadarski list”, held a combined market share of some 10 % to 20 % in 2017.

Weeklies paid circulation market

The paid circulation of the general information weeklies in Croatia in 2017 dropped by 15 % in comparison with 2016. “7Dnevno” had the highest circulation. However, it also indicated the falling circulation trend in 2017. The second place was taken by the weekly “Međimurje” whereas “Globus” occupied the third place. Most weeklies circulations fell, however, “Hrvatski tjednik”, “Nacional”, “DU List”, “Bjelovarac” and “Bjelovarski list” did not indicate the downward circulation trend.

Print advertising market

The total revenue that the publishers made from advertising in the daily papers in 2017 was 160 million Kuna or 10 % less than in the previous year. The highest market share of some 20 % – 30 % was held by the “Jutarnji list”, followed by the “Slobodna Dalmacija” with 10 % – 20 % market share and the “Večernji list” with 10 % – 20 %. Most publishers of the general information daily newspapers indicated a slight rise in advertising revenues.

Publishers Hanza Media and Slobodna Dalmacija, with a combined market share of 40 % to 50 % were the market leaders in the dailies advertising market. The market share of the third rival publisher Večernji list was 10 % to 20 %. It should be noted that the individual revenues of the two leading publishers in the dailies advertising market moderately increased. Publisher Novi list was the fourth on this list with a market share of 10 % – 20 %. Its revenue from advertising also increased in comparison with 2016.

According to the ad revenues the publisher 24 sata took the fifth place with its ad generated market share of 10 % to 20 %. It however recorded a fall in its ad generated revenue. The individual market shares of the other four general information dailies publishers (“Glas Slavonije”, “Glas Istre”, “Zadarski list” and “La Voce del Popolo”) in 2017 were lower than 10 %.

The HH index in this relevant market in 2017 was 1.669 points whereas in 2016 it was 1.663 points, which indicates a moderately concentrated market.

In 2017 the total revenue from advertising in weeklies was 24.9 million Kuna.

Press distribution market 

There has been only one player present in the press distribution market (wholesale) at the national level in 2017 – the undertaking Tisak d.d. from Zagreb that experienced a revenue fall compared with the previous year. The total press retail revenue was 351.5 million Kuna, which is, compared with 2016, a 3 % fall.

Compared with 2016 there was a retail revenue growth recorded by Hanza Media that follows the leading press retailer Tisak. Inovine took the third place.

In 2017 most publishers recorded a rise in the retail activities. It is apparent that the newspaper publishers have increased their direct sales and subscription sales with the view to strengthening their independence from the press distributors and retaining a greater part of the revenue.