The head of Bell says he is not losing sleep over a massive global merger that could threaten his streaming lineup.
Mirko Bibic, the CEO of Bell, addressed growing concerns regarding Netflix’s $83 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Because Warner owns HBO, the deal has sparked fears among Canadian creators and viewers that popular hits like White Lotus or Game of Thrones could eventually disappear from Bell’s Crave streaming service.
Speaking after a speech at the Canadian Club of Montreal last week, Bibic brushed aside concerns that a change in ownership would affect existing deals. He told the Canadian Press that any buyer should honour Warner Bros.’ long-term contract with BCE, adding that a change at the top should have no impact on the agreement. Bibic’s speech was mainly focused on AI and the importance of Canada’s data sovereignty.
Bibic also suggested that Crave has evolved far beyond being just a home for American imports. “Today’s Crave is not the Crave of 2015,” he said, noting that the library is much larger than just HBO content.
The numbers seem to back him up. Bibic revealed that in December, 6 of the 10 most watched series on Crave were actually Canadian productions. Successes like the sports romance Heated Rivalry and the Quebec drama Empathie are proving that local content can draw a crowd just as well as big budget Hollywood shows.
Despite the high stakes, Bibic confirmed that Bell does not plan to ask regulators to step in or block the Netflix deal.
The CEO also took a moment to settle questions about the company’s sports assets. Following the $4.7 billion sale of Bell’s stake in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors last year, rumours had swirled about the future of the Montreal Canadiens. Bibic was firm, stating that Bell’s minority stake in the Habs “is not for sale.” The Molson family remains the majority owner of the legendary hockey franchise.
Update January 18: Clarified the story to noted Bibic’s comments about the Netflix deal was made in an interview after his speech at the Canadian Club.
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