At Penguin Random House in 2025, revenue rose 1.3%, to €4.981 billion (about $5.76 billion), with organic growth at 3.3%. With the gain in sales, PRH was one of the positive contributors to Bertelsmann results, although PRH had a decline in earnings, "mainly due to growth-related expenses in the U.S. core business, along with negative exchange rate effects." Operating earnings for PRH were €704 million (about $814 million), down from €739 million (about $854 million) the previous year.
At parent company Bertelsmann, revenues in 2025 slipped 0.2%, to €19 billion (about $22 billion), with organic growth up 1.9%, offset by negative currency exchange rates and revenue declines at some parts of the company. Group profit was slightly over €1 billion (about $1.16 billion). Chairman and CEO Thomas Rabe called 2025 "a solid financial year for us. In a challenging environment, our broad business and geographic footprint once again proved its worth."
Bertelsmann said that PRH increased market share in most of its markets, including the U.S., mainly because of a range of bestsellers.
Bertelsmann said that investments at PRH focused on "content, audience reach, and operational excellence that strengthened the company's competitive advantage," with "a core priority" being "the responsible deployment of advanced AI-driven technologies to increase commercial capability and operational efficiency, while rigorously safeguarding authors' copyrights and intellectual property." PRH also invested in "cutting-edge" distribution centers in Spain and Australia.
In a letter to staff, PRH CEO Nihar Malaviya said in part, "We had a solid year, growing revenues in a mixed marketplace. The depth and breadth of our publishing program, along with your incredible work, were instrumental in the success of our books--from maximizing the sales and extending the life of mega out-of-the-gate blockbusters, such as Mel Robbins's The Let Them Theory or Dan Brown's The Secret of Secrets, to championing smaller books that grew over time and became major bestsellers, such as The Correspondent by Virginia Evans or Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. Not to mention the enduring success of our backlist stalwarts like the works of Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss, and Atomic Habits by James Clear.
"Despite increased revenues, our profitability continued to be impacted by rising costs that all of us are feeling in our day-to-day lives, along with certain currency effects. Even with those factors affecting Penguin Random House, we continue to be a strong pillar of Bertelsmann's overall success and global portfolio."
He added that he is "optimistic about our industry and Penguin Random House," noting that "we have successfully navigated many different disruptions in the past." As an example of "the importance of agility and adaptability," he pointed to "our incredibly fast rights acquisition and publication of KPop Demon Hunters, a book that went from idea to shelf in three months, underscoring our ability to capitalize on this trend and publish a property across multiple PRH markets."
PRH's global footprint also offers "valuable insights and lessons from many different marketplaces, enabling us to adapt, innovate, and lead in a way that no other publisher can match....
"I am confident that the year ahead will be one that brings learnings, growth, and most of all, many different kinds of stories worth celebrating together."