Egmont Group

Egmont International Holding A/S
Formerly	P. Petersen, Printers (1878–1914); Gutenberghus Group (1914–1992)
Company type	Private
Industry	Media group
Founded	1878;147 years ago; Copenhagen,Denmark
Founder	Egmont H. Petersen[da]
Headquarters	Copenhagen, Denmark
Key people	Steffen Kragh (President &CEO); Steen Riisgaard(Chairman)
Products	Books,Magazines,Film,Cinemas,Interactive media,Television
Revenue	€2,073 million(2021)
Operating income	€256 million(2021)
Net income	€224 million(2021)
Total assets	€2,500 million(2021)
Total equity	€1,098 million(2021)
Number of employees	5,376(2021)
Divisions	See§ Egmont divisions
Website	www.egmont.com

TheEgmont Group(officiallyEgmont International Holding A/S;known asGutenberghus Groupuntil 1992) is a Danishmedia corporationfounded and rooted inCopenhagen,Denmark. The business area of Egmont has traditionally been magazine publishing, but has over the years evolved to comprisemass mediagenerally.

History

The Egmont Group was founded by Egmont Harald Petersen in 1878,^[2]as a one-man printing business, but soon became a magazine business. It was originally called "P. Petersen, Printers", named after Petersen's mother, as he was still too young at the time to register his own company. The company was renamedGutenberghusin 1914 (after the famous inventor of the printing press), a name it kept until 1992.

In 1948, Gutenberghus, looking for new opportunities, sent its editorDan FolketoWalt Disney Productions,and he managed to acquire a license for publishing comic magazines in Scandinavia. In 1948, the company started to publish aDonald Duck comic magazineinSweden(asKalle Anka & C:o) andNorway(asDonald Duck & C:o), in 1949 also inDenmark(asAnders And & C:o). This magazine features all the well known Disney characters, fromMickey MousetoLittle Hiawathaunder license fromDisney.

With the acquisition in 1963, of the Danish publisherAschehoug,Egmont also entered the book market. From the late 1980s the Egmont Group used the close connection with Disney to expand their Scandinavian focus to a global focus, being the producer of Disney for the new Eastern European market, as well as for the Chinese market. In 1991, Egmont was co-founder of theNorwegian television channel TV 2,before buying it outright in 2012.

In 1992, Egmont boughtNordisk Film.In 1997, Egmont acquiredSemic Press.In 1998, Egmont acquired the children's book catalogue ofReed Elsevier.^[3]In 2008, they acquired the minority stake in magazine publisher Hjemmet Mortensen which they did not already hold, fromOrkla ASA.^[4]

Egmont has a number of local country branches: Australia, Bulgaria (Egmont Bulgaria), China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany (Egmont Ehapa), Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom.

Egmont is one of Scandinavia's leading media groups producing weeklies, magazines, comics, books, educational materials, activity products, movies and TV programs. The media group also operates movie theatres and TV stations, and the Egmont name is behind interactive games, game consoles, music and a wide range of digital media. Egmont publishes media in more than 30 countries, has over 5,300 employees and generated revenue amounting to over €2 billion in 2021.^[1]

Egmont acquired Forma Publishing Group in October 2014.^[5]In January 2015, the company shut down its American publishing division.^[6]

On 1 May 2020, Egmont completed the sale of three of its publishers (Egmont Books UK, Egmont Poland, and Schneiderbuch Germany) toHarperCollins.^[7]

Group management

Steffen Kragh – President andCEO
Hans J. Carstensen –CFO
Torsten Bjerre Rasmussen – Executive Vice President, Egmont and CEO for Egmont Publishing
Allan Mathson Hansen – Executive Vice President, Egmont and President for Egmont Nordisk Film
Olav T. Sandnes – CEO and Chief Editor of TV 2 in Norway

Egmont divisions

Story House Egmont
Egmont Books
Nordisk Film
TV 2 Group
Vimond Media Solutions

Egmont UK / Farshore

Egmont UK publishes books and magazines for children in theUnited Kingdom.It is the largest dedicated children's publisher in the UK. The Head Office is in London. In May 2020, the books division of Egmont UK was sold toHarperCollins.The new imprint changed its name to Farshore in February 2021.

Egmont Books

In 1998,Reed ElseviersoldDean & Son,World Distributors,and the children's divisions ofHeinemann,Methuen,Hamlynand Mammoth to the Egmont Group.^[3]^[8]

Egmont UK's book list includesfictionnovels, illustratedpicture books,pop-up and novelty books,fantasyadventures, annuals, colouring, activity and sticker books as well and Egmont's ownReading Ladder(for five- to nine-year-olds). Egmont also has a number ofyoung adult fictionworks, award-winners, classics and epic tales.

TheFictionlist includes work from such award-winning authors asAndy Stanton,Jim Smith,Michael Morpurgo,Lemony Snicket,Jamila GavinandDavid Levithan.Electric Monkeyis Egmont's dedicated Young Adult imprint and authors published includeElizabeth Acevedo,Michael Grant,Andrew A. Smith,Tahereh Mafiand Holly Jackson.

ThePicture Booklist includes work from authors such asJulia Donaldson,Kristina Stephenson,Michael MorpurgoandJohn Dougherty (author).Classic stories published by Egmont UK includeThe Velveteen Rabbit,The Little PrinceandThe Wind in the Willows.Authors on the non-fictionRed Shedimprint includeChris PackhamandLaura Coryton.

Illustrators who are published by Egmont includeHelen Oxenbury,Shirley Hughes,Jim Field,Rob Biddulph,Steven Lenton,Alex T. Smithand Colin and Jacqui Hawkins.

TheBrands & Licensingbooks list includes titles from the following brands:

Egmont offers a range ofPersonalised booksthrough their website.

TheDeanimprint (Dean & Son) offers consumer-led, bespoke publishing direct to retailers.

Egmont Magazines

In 1991, Egmont purchased theFleetwayarm ofIPC Mediain theUKfrom a company owned byRobert Maxwell,and merged it with their existing comics publishing division, London Editions, and thus became Britain's largest comic book publisher. The resultant company, Fleetway Editions, was absorbed into the main Egmont brand by 2000, having largely divested itself of its original portfolio (such as2000 AD) and continued with only reprint and licensed material titles (e.g.Sonic The Comic). TheFleetwayarchive comprises those comics characters first published byIPCsubsidiaries on or after 1 January 1970, together with 26 specifically named characters first published inBusterbefore that date.^[9]In August 2016, The IPC/Fleetway library was sold toRebellion Developments,who had previously acquired 2000 AD.^[10]^[11]

Egmont Magazines currently publish titles includingToxic,Thomas & Friends,Disney Princess,Frozen,Minecraft,andGo Girl.

Egmont Foundation

Egmont has a charitable wing. The founder's last will and testament paved the way for Egmont's charitable work to support social, cultural and scientific causes. As a foundation, Egmont helps improve children's and young people's quality of life, donating more than 235 million Euros to social, cultural and health projects since 1920.^{[citation needed]}

References

^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g"Egmont Group 2021 Annual Report"(PDF).Egmont. p. 4.Retrieved10 July2022.
^Eva Harrie (2009)."The Nordic Media Market"(PDF).Nordicom, University of Gothenburg.Göteborg.Retrieved10 December2014.
^^a ^b"History of the Egmont Imprints".Penguin Random House.Retrieved21 October2018.
^"Orkla ASA sells its stake in magazine publisher Hjemmet Mortensen AS to Denmark's Egmont"Nordic Business Report27 June 2008
^"Danish media group Egmont completes acquisition of Forma Publishing Group".Talking New Media.3 October 2014. Archived fromthe originalon Mar 28, 2016.Retrieved29 April2015.
^"Egmont Publishing closes US business".Egmont.January 21, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 12 February 2015.Retrieved7 April2015.
^Chandler, Mark (May 1, 2020)."HarperCollins completes Egmont acquisition".The Bookseller.Archivedfrom the original on Jul 9, 2023.
^Eccleshare, Julia (May 11, 1998)."PW: Egmont Buys Reed Children's Books".Publishers Weekly.Retrieved2018-01-21.
^Frank Birch (14 December 2008)."Speaking Frankly..."Birmingham Mail.Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2011.Retrieved15 April2011.
^Bunge, Nicole."REBELLION ACQUIRES FLEETWAY AND IPC YOUTH GROUP ARCHIVES".ICv2.Retrieved4 November2016.
^Johnston, Rich (25 August 2016)."Rebellion Buys Fleetway Archive – Roy Of The Rovers, Oink, Tammy, Battle, Whizzer And Chips And More".Bleeding Cool.Retrieved4 November2016.

External links

Egmont Group

[AR2021-1] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g"Egmont Group 2021 Annual Report"(PDF).Egmont. p. 4.Retrieved10 July2022.

[2] Eva Harrie (2009)."The Nordic Media Market"(PDF).Nordicom, University of Gothenburg.Göteborg.Retrieved10 December2014.

[History_of_the_Egmont_Imprints-3] "History of the Egmont Imprints".Penguin Random House.Retrieved21 October2018.

[4] "Orkla ASA sells its stake in magazine publisher Hjemmet Mortensen AS to Denmark's Egmont"Nordic Business Report27 June 2008

[5] "Danish media group Egmont completes acquisition of Forma Publishing Group".Talking New Media.3 October 2014. Archived fromthe originalon Mar 28, 2016.Retrieved29 April2015.

[6] "Egmont Publishing closes US business".Egmont.January 21, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 12 February 2015.Retrieved7 April2015.

[7] Chandler, Mark (May 1, 2020)."HarperCollins completes Egmont acquisition".The Bookseller.Archivedfrom the original on Jul 9, 2023.

[8] Eccleshare, Julia (May 11, 1998)."PW: Egmont Buys Reed Children's Books".Publishers Weekly.Retrieved2018-01-21.

[9] Frank Birch (14 December 2008)."Speaking Frankly..."Birmingham Mail.Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2011.Retrieved15 April2011.

[10] Bunge, Nicole."REBELLION ACQUIRES FLEETWAY AND IPC YOUTH GROUP ARCHIVES".ICv2.Retrieved4 November2016.

[11] Johnston, Rich (25 August 2016)."Rebellion Buys Fleetway Archive – Roy Of The Rovers, Oink, Tammy, Battle, Whizzer And Chips And More".Bleeding Cool.Retrieved4 November2016.

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