SMIT researchers commenting on takeover of SBS by Telenet

On March 7th the Belgian distributor Telenet announced the takeover of all remaining shares of De Vijver, the Flemish holding which the production company Woestijnvis and broadcaster SBS are part of. On VRT Radio 1’s ‘De Ochtend’ and on QMusic’s new bulletin, senior researcher Olivier Braet discussed the opportunities for Telenet as a company increasingly positioning itself as a 360° service and content platform. For VRTNWS online, senior researcher Tim Raats provided background information on the opportunities and threats for the production company Woestijnvis and the consumer. Both researchers acknowledge the current transition as a logical shift amidst a current climate of rapid consolidation in the media industry, with a domestic distributor that is increasingly competing with international platforms such as Netflix and a broadcaster that has to cope with heavy pressure on existing advertising revenues.

Listen to the interviews here and here .