 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1953[1] |
| Headquarters | Jericho, New York, U.S. |
Key people | Andrew Goldberg
(chairman) Andrew Goldberg (president and CEO) |
| Revenue | $840.6 million (2013)[2] |
Number of employees | 550 (2014)[2] |
| Website | pch |
Publishers Clearing House (PCH) is an American company founded in 1953 by Harold Mertz. It was originally founded as an alternative to door-to-door magazine subscription sales by offering bulk mail direct marketing of merchandise and periodicals. They are most widely known for their sweepstakes and prize-based games which were introduced in 1967. From August 2020 to March 2024, they owned the Wide Open Media publications Wide Open Spaces (about outdoors lifestyle), Wide Open Country (about country music), and FanBuzz (about sports).[3]
Their sweepstakes has been subject of legal actions regarding whether consumers were misled about the odds of winning, and whether purchases increased their chances. By 2010, the company had reached settlements with all 50 states, and in 2023 the Federal Trade Commission ordered PCH to overhaul its sweepstakes processes.[4]
- ^ Clifford, Stephanie (23 December 2008). "ADVERTISING; Old-Line Magazine Sweepstakes Company Gets Digital". The New York Times. p. 3.
- ^ a b "New York Area's Largest Privately Held Companies". Crain's New York Business. 17 November 2014.
- ^ "Supply Spotlight with Publishers Clearing House's Darin Leach". Criteo. 2 November 2020.
- ^ "FTC Takes Action Against Publishers Clearing House for Misleading Consumers About Sweepstakes Entries". Federal Trade Commission. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.