Thalia Enters the eBook Market: From Pubbles to Tolino Media Transformation
Originally launched as a digital newsstand, the company “Pubbles” has completely redefined itself over the past few years as a service provider in the eBook sector.
Initially owned by Bertelsmann and the German press distributor (DPV), DBH (Weltbild and Hugendubel) later joined them (at the end of 2011 and early 2012) with a 50 percent stake. In 2013, the end of the online shop and direct consumer contact followed, during which DPV later withdrew by selling its 25 percent share to Bertelsmann. Even then, the business with Tolino and further B2B eBook development was at the forefront.
Pubbles Through Time, Now as Tolino Media
Now, the restructuring continues: Pubbles is now called Tolino Media and gains a new owner: Thalia enters with a one-third stake after approval from the Federal Cartel Office in September 2014. Thus, the co-owners Bertelsmann also hold one-third, while Weltbild and Hugendubel each hold one-sixth of the company. Thalia as a new co-owner is no surprise since back in August 2014, it was announced that the Austrian Federal Competition Authority and the Federal Cartel Office were reviewing the retailer’s entry.
With the renaming and the new partner, the company’s realignment as a supplier for eBook shops (particularly for the Tolino system) is considered complete. Clearly marking the Tolino affiliation abroad was obviously important: “We are now clearly recognizable as part of the Tolino system for all publishers, including abroad,” explains Managing Director Christian Schniedermann to the Börsenblatt. No wonder, as the Tolino alliance has expanded into non-German-speaking European countries (Italy, Belgium, Netherlands) in recent months, where using Pubbles (now Tolino Media) as a data source is likely essential for Tolino distribution.
When you visit the Pubbles homepage, you’re greeted with the message: “pubbles is now called tolino media” and redirected to the official Tolino homepage. It will be interesting to see how the expansion of the Tolino brand progresses. It can be assumed that the European expansion is not yet complete.
