(adds further comments on M&A)
BARCELONA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Liberty Global's chief executive said the cable group's joint venture with mobileoperator Vodafone in the Netherlands did not signal moredeals between the two companies in Europe.
Asked at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecomsconference whether the Dutch tie-up was a template for furtherdeals, Mike Fries said: "Hard to say, (but) I would probably saynot."
He said the two were not talking about anything else rightnow. "This was a unique situation," he said at the Barcelonaconference on Thursday.
"We were bigger then them in this market. So for us it was anet cash-out deal. It was a small market, (so) a good way to getto know each other."
Vodafone said on Wednesday regulators could look favourablyon more co-operation between the two companies as acounterbalance to former telecom incumbents.
Liberty owns strategic stakes in content producers, notablya 9.9 percent holding in British broadcaster and producer ITV, which it has described as an opportunistic investmentin its largest market.
Fries said there were few opportunities to do pan-Europeancontent deals because the region was fragmented.
But he noted Britain was one market in Europe where therewas a trend towards vertical integration -- owning both contentand distribution networks.
"Do we need to do that there ? TBD (to be decided)," hesaid. "I'm not going to give any read on that today.
"Simply said, for us it is about national scale andnational local, relevant content, and that should be our firstpriority." (Reporting by Harro Ten Wolde, Writing by Paul Sandle. Editingby Jane Merriman and Alexandra Hudson)
Vodafone (VOD)
ITV (ITV)
