Antenna CEO Henning Tewes champions European consolidation to counter US streaming ecosystems
Henning Tewes, CEO of Antenna Group, advocates for consolidation among European media companies to effectively compete with large US streaming giants. He specifically cited potential mergers like ITV/Sky and RTL/Sky Deutschland as examples of necessary alliances. Tewes argued that creating larger, more integrated groups would generate the "gravity" needed to attract and retain audiences, and ultimately lead to better monetization.
Key Takeaways
- Identified RTL Group's €68 million acquisition of Sky Deutschland as a blueprint for required national-market consolidation.
- Argued that competition is no longer between local broadcasters but against centralized ecosystems like YouTube, Netflix, and TikTok.
- Cited potential alliances like ITV and Sky in the UK as necessary to generate the 'gravity' needed to retain fragmented audiences.
- Advocated for an 'active participation' model, integrating live events and experiences to move beyond passive content consumption.
Why It Matters
Tewes’ call for consolidation reflects a sharp pivot from viewing media as a content business to an 'ecosystem' play. By citing the RTL/Sky Deutschland deal as a model, he signals that localized fragmentation is becoming a fatal liability against US giants that leverage unified data and global capital. If European regulators relax national competition rules to allow these larger alliances—as Tewes suggests they must—it could trigger a wave of mergers among major free-to-air and pay-TV operators. Watch for movement on the rumored ITV/Sky UK media assets deal as the next indicator of this 'in-country combination' trend.
Additional Context
The push for European scale coincides with shifting regulatory attitudes and massive consolidation in the US market. Per RTL Group in June 2026, the company successfully closed its acquisition of Sky Deutschland for €68 million, a move explicitly designed to build a 'future-ready' business with 12.3 million paying subscribers across the DACH region. This deal expects to generate €250 million in annual synergies by merging premium sports rights with local entertainment. Meanwhile, in the UK, ITV confirmed in May 2026 that it remains in active discussions to sell its media and entertainment division to Sky for an estimated £1.6 billion, though regulatory scrutiny regarding news impartiality has slowed the process.
Broader market shifts are also heightening the pressure on European firms. Per ExchangeWire in March 2026, the global landscape has been radically reshaped by Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that created a unified entity serving 200 million subscribers. Furthermore, YouTube’s ad revenue in 2025 exceeded that of Disney, NBC, Paramount, and WBD combined. In response to this tech-driven dominance, the European Commission published revised merger guidelines in April 2026. According to GT Law in May 2026, these new drafts indicate a greater willingness by EU regulators to recognize that consolidation can enhance cross-border competitiveness if it facilitates investment in digital infrastructure and innovation.
Read full article at broadcastnow.co.uk
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