Communications, media and internet concentration in Switzerland report, 2019-2021

This report focuses on concentration levels and trends in more than twenty media and internet markets in Switzerland over the period from 2019 to 2021. It draws three main conclusions regarding the Swiss media landscape. Firstly, the Swiss media market is characterized by a high level of concentration based on the criteria of the CR4 and HHI indexes. Data suggest that this is due to the significant presence of public companies and multinational players, particularly in the telecoms and internet access services and core internet services areas, and by the smallness of the country which results in a limited number of resources. Secondly, this report highlights Switzerland’s alignment with international trends, i.e., declining revenues from traditional media, shrinking newspaper circulation, and an overall increasing relevance of the digital sectors. Notably, however, traditional media appear to be declining a comparatively slower rate in Switzerland than other countries, with public service broadcasting remaining particularly influential. Finally, the report underscores the significant peculiarities of the Swiss market that make it a unique case on a global level. Despite its small size, the Swiss Confederation is composed of four linguistic regions and 26 cantons characterized by a strong federalism and the principle of subsidiarity. On a federal level, the disclosure of revenues and other relevant data is a legal requirement only for publicly-listed companies. Consequently, the Swiss media market remains highly opaque, with a severe lack of official control over information provided by media organizations; a peculiarity that underscores both the complexity and the urgency of further investigation in this direction.