Observed Signal · Aug 18, 2026 · Product Launch · Source: persoenlich.com News · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Felix Graf on Swisscom TV's rocky launch
Felix Graf, today CEO of the NZZ, recalls his role as project lead for Swisscom TV and the turbulent 2004 product introduction. Graf describes a failed live demo minutes before a press conference, the strategic decision to retire the Bluewin brand because Swisscom was spending CHF 60 million yearly on its marketing without a clear brand link to the parent, and conflicts arising from exclusive sports rights with the public broadcaster SRG. The article also mentions the closure of the Bluewin chat network amid abuse concerns and the platform decline after Facebook's rise. Christoph Brand (now Axpo CEO) is recalled as an early leader of the portal when it began as “the blue window.” Blue News marks its 30th anniversary on 16 September 2026.
Historical retrospective about the launch of a major Swiss TV/streaming product; relevant to TV/CTV market evolution in Switzerland but not an immediate industry-wide technical or policy change.
Track Swisscom Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Felix Graf is currently CEO of NZZ and was project lead for Swisscom TV at Swisscom.
- Swisscom pursued a triple-play strategy (telephony, internet, TV) in 2004 to compete in a cable-dominated market.
- Swisscom decided to retire the Bluewin logo after concluding it spent CHF 60 million annually on Bluewin marketing without a clear link to the parent brand.
- Exclusive sports rights for Swisscom TV generated conflict with the public broadcaster SRG; the service's time-shifted transmission vs SRF also drew criticism.
- Blue News celebrates its 30th anniversary on 2026-09-16.
Connected Companies & Entities
5 Entities mapped“Felix Graf was at Swisscom for years responsible for the internet portal Bluewin and the group's entertainment services and as project lead ...”
“The time-delayed transmission compared to SRF caused criticism and led to public questioning....”
“Felix Graf is today CEO of NZZ, and he recalls the turbulent product introduction while speaking to Blue News....”
“Exclusive sports rights brought Swisscom into conflict with the SRG, which initially was not welcoming of the new provider....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Blue News relaunches Swisscom portal with Livingdocs CMS
Blue News, the Swisscom-owned news portal, has relaunched its website and app with a redesigned user interface and a new content-management system from Livingdocs. The update replaces a fixed section layout with a dynamic navigation that prioritises highly requested topics and promises faster load times and closer collaboration across the German, French and Italian editorial teams. The relaunch expands the sports offering via a new "Live-Center" that consolidates livetickers, results, statistics and additional video formats. Claudia Lässer (CEO, Entertainment Programm AG) said the changes aim to keep users on the site longer and make the property more attractive to advertisers; Blue News plans new ad formats in cooperation with Ringier Advertising. The relaunch coincides with Blue News’s 30th anniversary and an event on 15 September. Blue News reports roughly 37 million visits and 72 million page views per month.
Blue News Relaunches Site with New CMS
Blue News launched a site refresh timed to the Football World Cup that introduces a new content management system (CMS) and backend improvements to speed up loading, simplify navigation, enable stronger live offerings and provide a technical foundation for future features. The publisher plans increased personalization via algorithms while keeping a universal news feed. Blue News reports c.37 million visits and over 72 million page views per month, reaches younger audiences via social (2.6 million followers for sports content) and still serves a large 60+ segment. It operates under Entertainment Programm AG with Swisscom as parent, integrates Swisscom’s MyAI for summaries and translations, and renewed its commercial mandate with Ringier Advertising. New ad formats such as a "Branded Focus Container" (example: Rolex around SailGP coverage) are part of the monetization strategy. Blue News will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a major event on September 15, 2026.
CH Media launches 'Schweiz heute' with celebrity launch night
CH Media held a launch night in Zurich on 2026-08-13 to introduce its new national news portal, Schweiz heute. The event at Allianz Cinema Zürich included about 240 invited guests from politics, culture, media and advertising, while roughly 1,700 cinema visitors experienced Schweiz heute as the presenting partner of an open-air screening. CH Media executives including CEO Michael Wanner and editor-in-chief Patrik Müller spoke about the editorial breadth and the strategic role of the new digital offering alongside the group's existing title Schweiz am Wochenende. The portal is supported by some 350 journalists across German-speaking Switzerland. The launch capped a marketing campaign begun in July and will be extended nationwide with posters, hanging displays, radio spots and other out-of-home activities.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.