Conversation with Mike Fries of Liberty Global

Rushing in for a brief one-hour visit, Liberty Global CEO and President Mike Fries took the stage of the Maxsaal to discuss the outlook for cable TV and new opportunities in the German market.

Liberty is the second largest cable TV operator in the world and the largest outside the U.S. with over 29 million subscribers and more than $10 billion of revenue.

No wonder Mr. Fries is a busy man. 

The charismatic cable executive, however, took plenty of time to discuss the outlook for companies like Liberty, both in general and more specifically in Germany.

“I’m excited about the cable industry going forward,” Fries told moderator Hans-Peter Siebenhaar of the Handelsblatt.

“The cable industry is healthier than people believe. My kids still love their flat screen,” he added.

There are however challenges that need addressing. 

“What we don’t allow you to do, for instance, is to move content around. There are areas where we can do better,” Fries said, before introducing the answer right away; a new multi media platform called Horizon.

“Horizon is a new media entertainment platform. It feels like an iPad, and integrates the Internet experience into an intuitive solution for our clients. I can say that it’s gonna wow you.”

Before the short session came to an end, Fries also had time to address questions about the near future of one of the Liberty’s key European markets; Germany.

“Germany’s media industry may be behind,” Fries said.  “But that’s a good thing because that allows us space for innovation, to drive new products and services into a market that has high demand.”