@media under new management: contradictions, breaches of trust and unanswered questions

At the beginning of July 2025, numerous marketers were surprised to learn in a Zoom call that the long-announced @media project had already been sold to ATMEDIA Europe Ltd. in February. There had apparently been no official announcement or transparent communication in advance. Given the long history of delays, technical difficulties and lack of results, many of those involved felt that such a change of ownership should have been clearly communicated. The fact that this information was only announced months later and without warning raises questions about the network’s communication culture.

Goran Ljubic – new leadership, old ties?

Goran Ljubic, who is now responsible for @media, was himself active as a marketer at Lyconet for a long time and achieved a high level of success there. This professional background raises doubts among some marketers as to whether the direction and structure of the project will actually change fundamentally.

Ljubic himself emphasises that he wants to do many things better – but the close cooperation with Lyconet makes parts of the community sceptical as to whether fundamental changes are actually possible.

Revelation with a signal effect

In the call, Ljubic openly stated that, as a marketer, he himself had presented content ‘that did not exist in this form’. This statement made many people sit up and take notice. Numerous marketers had already criticised the fact that the project had been promoted for a long time using concepts that they considered immature. In retrospect, Ljubic’s statement now reinforces the impression that expectations were raised that were not based on solid foundations. Whether this was done deliberately or out of exaggerated optimism remains open – but one thing is clear: the project is now apparently facing a major restart.

Marketers in need of explanations

This development is particularly problematic for marketers who have promoted @media for years and defended it to customers. Many had trusted that their investments and efforts would soon pay off. Now they not only have to answer questions from customers, but also reorient themselves. The roadmap presented in July 2025 envisages a three-phase development until 2030 – a period that seems surprisingly long to many. Earlier roadmaps had suggested much shorter time frames, which is now leading to growing frustration.

New forecasts, old patterns?

In the Zoom call, a revenue target of €6 billion by 2030 was presented, of which 40 per cent is reportedly to go towards remuneration for marketers. However, a footnote points out that these figures are based solely on the current business plan of ATMEDIA Europe Ltd. and existing contracts – they are expressly not a binding guarantee.

This type of presentation is not new: in a presentation from June 2024, for example, a target figure of one million media boxes delivered was mentioned for Austria – also with a restrictive note in the small print. According to Ljubic, however, only 16,000 boxes have actually been delivered to date. The figure of 50,000 devices shipped, which was communicated in July 2024, also falls far short of the original expectation. This discrepancy between ambitious plans and actual implementation is causing considerable uncertainty among many of those involved.

Unclear contractual situation

There is currently particular uncertainty regarding contractual responsibilities: while ATMEDIA Europe Ltd. is responsible for operations, new packages are apparently still being offered via Lyconet. It is currently unclear whether and to what extent legal claims against Lyconet or myWorld still exist. This is a highly relevant question for investors and marketers, which should be clarified as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Even though Goran Ljubic emphasises his intention to communicate more transparently and openly in future, many marketers remain distrustful. The repeated delays, the lack of results and the uncertainty about responsibilities raise legitimate questions. A genuine review of the past and comprehensible, binding plans for the future appear necessary in order to regain lost trust.

Note: This article is intended solely for information, journalistic analysis and independent opinion-forming within the meaning of Article 5 of the German Basic Law and Section 51 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG) (right to quote). All information is based on publicly available sources, official communications and careful editorial research. Despite taking the utmost care, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the information contained herein.

Sources:

· Ljubic, G. (2025, July 5). Statements made in a Zoom call regarding the takeover of @media by ATMEDIA Europe Ltd. [Transcript]. Internal Zoom call, Safir/Lyconet partner meeting. Recording available to the editorial team.

· Lyconet. (2024, June). @media Partner Austria – Business plan & targets [presentation slides]. Internal sales channel. Archived copy in the possession of the editorial team.

· ATMEDIA Europe Ltd. (2025). Company data & entry in the British commercial register. Companies House. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house

· Lyconet. (2023–2025). @media package offers in the marketer back office [online platform]. Accessed via internal partner portal. Documented by the editorial team.