Looking back on 2020

JANUARY: Bertelsmann invests in the Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India Fund IV.

FEBRUARY: Bertelsmann to be climate neutral by 2030

FEBRUARY: Elmar Heggen and Dirk Kemmerer newly appointed to Bertelsmann’s Group Management Committee

MARCH: Bertelsmann increases revenues, achieves best ever operating result in 2019.

MARCH: “Gemeinsam gegen Corona” (Together Against Corona): with this declaration, the companies of theMARCH: Bertelsmann Content Alliance in Germany support the fight against the spread of the novel corona virus.

APRIL: Bertelsmann completes full acquisition of Penguin Random House.

APRIL: Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe successful at Fitness Challenge: 200.000 Euros could be donated to homeless children in Berlin.

APRIL: Gruner + Jahr expands Applike technology platform.

MAY: Gruner + Jahr and ‘Stern’ present ‘Nannen Prize 2020’.

MAY: Arvato Systems is Microsoft partner for Artificial Intelligence.

JUNE: Bertelsmann Virtual Management Meeting 2020 with 280 top executives - Motto: “Bucking the Crisis With Creativity and Entrepreneurship”

JUNE: Culture@Bertelsmann goes digital: Bertelsmann’s cultural offer focuses on streaming and interaction

JUNE: ‘Toggo Radio’ goes live - with the launch of “Toggo Radio”, Super RTL introduces Germany’s first nationwide children’s and family radio station.

JUNE: Topac named innovation champion - with equally creative and sustainable packaging solutions, the Gütersloh-based company convinced the jury of the renowned TOP 100 innovation competition.

JUNE: Seven German Television Awards for Mediengruppe RTL - at the 21st presentation of the awards, RTL and NTV were honored for their coronavirus reporting. More awards in other categories went to Vox.

JULY: Bertelsmann launches Content Alliance in the U.K: Fremantle, Penguin Random House, BMG, and DK announce joint podcast production business

AUGUST: The tenth UFA Film Nights for the first time take place exclusively online.

SEPTEMBER: Bertelsmann launches digital campaign for the #50000Chances scholarship initiative: “You Are the Digital Future”

SEPTEMBER: Bertelsmann launches round two of its #50000Chances digital initiative with another 15,000 tech scholarships.

SEPTEMBER: Arvato Financial Solutions launches FinTech Paigo, an innovative platform for consumer oriented claims management.

SEPTEMBER‘Stern’ sends out a signal for the Global Day of Climate Action - one issue dedicates its content to the climate crisis.

OCTOBER: On the ‘Blue Sofa Digital’ at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 German and International authors take their seats. The interviews are streamed live from Berlin.

OCTOBER: BMG joins the live-business with ‘Undercover’ – the goal is to present an alternative for artists to the established live industry.

OCTOBER: The French streaming platform Salto launched, a joint venture between the major networks M6, TF1, and France Télévisions.

NOVEMBER: Bertelsmann is expanding its global content businesses with the acquisition of the publishing house Simon & Schuster.

NOVEMBER: “A Promised Land” is the title of the long-awaited first volume of former U.S. President Barack Obama’s presidential memoirs, published yesterday by Penguin Random House in all its markets worldwide.

NOVEMBER: First Virtual ‘Data Week’ at Bertelsmann – with more than 500 tech and data community.

NOVEMBER: “Power Up”, the new album by the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, represented by BMG, has made it to the top of the charts in many countries around the world.

NOVEMBER: Mediengruppe RTL and Telekom systematically extend their cooperation: The TV Now Premium streaming site is to be integrated into Telekom's TV offer Magenta TV.

NOVEMBER: BMG acquires rights to No Angels songs - thanks to BMG’s acquisition of Cheyenne Records, songs by the popular girl band and other artists are available on streaming services again.

DECEMBER: The one-year Arctic expedition 'Arctic Drift' has brought the Bertelsmann Content Alliance companies quite a bit of success with their audiences.

DECEMBER: RTL Group to acquire full ownership of RTL Belgium.