20 Minuten

History and profile

Cofounded by Sacha Wigdorovits, who also became a significant shareholder, 20 Minuten was first published on 13 December 1999 by 20 Minuten Schweiz AG. The direct competitor metropol was available in Switzerland between 2000 and 2002. The paper version of 20 Minuten is published in tabloid format.

Since 2005 the newspaper has been owned by Express-Zeitung AG, which is jointly owned by TX Group (majority holding) and Berner Zeitung (17.5%).

In the German-speaking parts of Switzerland, specific editions are made for the regions of Basel, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen and Zürich.

Circulation

20 Minuten is distributed to commuters at over 150 train stations across the country. Since September 2004 the German-language edition has been the most widely read daily newspaper in Switzerland, surpassing Blick. The audited distribution in 2004 was 329,242 (WEMF AG) and it had a readership of an estimated 782,000. In 2010 its circulation was 494,368 copies, making it the most-read daily paper in the country.

For the year ending 31 March 2024, the total audited (provisional) circulation of all issues of the 20 Minuten Group was 445,141, including all German regional editions (298,429 total) as well as the French (123,147) and Italian (23,565) issues.

Demise of printed version

The TX Group announced in June 2025 that the printed version would be discontinued at the end of the year, due to sinking revenues in that format. The rapidly changing media landscape was also cited. The announcement by 20 Minuten, signed by both CEO Bernhard Brechbühl and (from 1 September 2025) editor-in-chief Désirée Pomper, hinted that some use of the existing newspaper distribution boxes might be found, perhaps for some as yet unknown "innovation" on paper.

The cessation of the printed versions brings with it a reorganization and loss of jobs. Some 80 full-time positions are expected to be terminated. Four regional bureaus are to be closed, with a national editing office based in Lausanne, Bern und Zürich to replace them. The French-language 20 minutes is to move to an online-only presence, with Philippe Favre as the directeur Romandie. The Italian-language paper, 20 minuti, is to end at the end of 2025, migrating to an online portal.

References

References

1. "Sacha Wigdorovits prüft Klage wegen 20 Minuten".
2. (17 June 2025). "TX Group stellt Printversion von "20 Minuten" ein, 80 Stellen fallen weg". TX Group.
3. Cyril Jost. (4 February 2011}}{{Dead link). "The challenges confronting the Swiss press". InaGlobal.
4. "WEMF Auflagebulletin 2024".
5. (17 June 2025). "20 Minuten stärkt Digitalgeschäft und stellt die Tageszeitung ein". 20 Minuten.