DigitalBridge and Crestview Partners Appoint Frank van der Post as CEO of WideOpenWest (WOW!)

Rhea-AI Summary

DigitalBridge (NYSE: DBRG) and Crestview Partners appointed Frank van der Post as Chief Executive Officer of WideOpenWest (WOW!) effective January 6, 2026, succeeding Teresa Elder, who is retiring.

Van der Post previously led Breezeline's U.S. fiber-broadband business with operations in 13 states and held senior commercial roles at KPN and other global companies. DigitalBridge and Crestview said they will invest in network performance, customer experience, and operational improvements under his leadership.

Affiliated funds of DigitalBridge and Crestview completed the companies' previously announced take-private acquisition of WOW! on December 31, 2025; as a result, WOW! common stock is no longer traded or listed on any public securities exchange.

Positive

• Take-private completed on December 31, 2025
• New CEO with U.S. fiber-broadband leadership across 13 states
• Backed by DigitalBridge and Crestview for network and CX investments

Negative

• Common stock delisted, reducing public share liquidity
• Leadership transition risk as new CEO assumes transformation mandate

News Market Reaction

+0.33%

1 alert

+0.33% News Effect

On the day this news was published, DBRG gained 0.33%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Breezeline footprint: 13 states Prior CEO tenure: 8 years

2 metrics

Breezeline footprint 13 states Operations of Cogeco’s U.S. fiber-broadband business previously led by van der Post

Prior CEO tenure 8 years Teresa Elder’s leadership period at WOW! before retirement

Market Reality Check

Price: $15.33 Vol: Volume 16,620,662 is 1.24...

normal vol

$15.33 Last Close

Volume Volume 16,620,662 is 1.24x the 20-day average of 13,405,593 ahead of this CEO announcement. normal

Technical Price $15.31 is trading above the 200-day MA of $10.90 and sits 1.54% below the 52-week high of $15.55.

Peers on Argus

DBRG was down 0.46% while several asset-management peers were positive (e.g., PA...

DBRG was down 0.46% while several asset-management peers were positive (e.g., PAX up 5.03%, BBUC up 2.99%, GCMG up 2.65%). With no peers appearing in momentum scans and mixed peer moves, trading looked more stock-specific than sector-driven around this news.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 31 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 31	WOW take-private close	Positive	+0.4%	Completed $1.5B take‑private of WOW! with modest positive reaction.
Dec 29	SoftBank acquisition	Positive	+9.6%	SoftBank’s $4.0B acquisition of DBRG at $16 per share premium.
Dec 18	Airport stake sale	Neutral	+0.1%	InfraBridge agreement to sell majority airport stake for GBP 270M.
Dec 02	Portfolio company sale	Neutral	-0.4%	Sale of Digita Group by funds managed by a DBRG affiliate.
Nov 26	AI data center MOU	Positive	+1.4%	MOU with KT to explore large‑scale AI data centers in Korea.

Pattern Detected

Major corporate events like the SoftBank acquisition premium generated stronger positive moves, while portfolio or asset-level news tended to see modest reactions around flat.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, DBRG has reported several strategic milestones. On Dec 29, 2025, SoftBank agreed to acquire DigitalBridge for about $4.0B at $16.00 per share, prompting a 9.63% move. The firm also completed a $1.5B take-private of WOW! on Dec 31, 2025, with a small 0.39% price reaction. Earlier, DBRG announced asset sales and AI infrastructure initiatives, each producing mild single-day moves near flat. Today’s CEO appointment at WOW! fits into this ongoing post-acquisition integration and portfolio-optimization story.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details the appointment of Frank van der Post as CEO of WOW! following its $1.5 bi...

Analysis

This announcement details the appointment of Frank van der Post as CEO of WOW! following its $1.5 billion take‑private by DigitalBridge and Crestview. It highlights his prior leadership of a fiber-broadband business across 13 states and outlines plans to modernize networks and drive growth in competitive markets. In the context of DigitalBridge’s recent acquisition activity and SoftBank’s proposed $4.0B merger, investors may monitor how WOW!’s transformation contributes to DBRG’s broader digital infrastructure strategy.

Key Terms

fiber-broadband, take-private acquisition

2 terms

fiber-broadband technical

"Mr. van der Post previously led the U.S. fiber-broadband business of Cogeco Inc."

High-speed internet service delivered over thin glass or plastic cables that use light to carry large amounts of data, providing much faster and more reliable connections than older copper lines. Investors care because building and operating this infrastructure can create steady, subscription-based revenue and competitive advantages—think of it as upgrading from a two-lane road to a high-speed railway that lets more traffic and services run smoothly—while requiring significant upfront capital and regulatory planning.

take-private acquisition financial

"completed their previously announced take-private acquisition of WOW! on December 31, 2025."

A take-private acquisition is when one party buys all the outstanding shares of a publicly traded company so it becomes privately owned and its stock is removed from public exchanges. For investors, it usually means shareholders receive cash or a buyout price (often at a premium) and lose ongoing ability to trade the shares; for remaining stakeholders it can change transparency, reporting and control—like a neighborhood business being bought and run behind closed doors.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Van der Post will lead the company's growth and transformation plans

BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DigitalBridge Group, Inc. ("DigitalBridge" or the "Company") (NYSE: DBRG), a leading global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure, and Crestview Partners ("Crestview"), a leading private equity firm, announced that, effective today, Frank van der Post has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of WideOpenWest Inc. (WOW!), succeeding Teresa Elder, who is retiring. 

Mr. van der Post previously led the U.S. fiber-broadband business of Cogeco Inc. as President of Breezeline, with operations in 13 states, and served on Cogeco's Executive Committee. Before joining Cogeco, Mr. van der Post was Chief Commercial Officer of KPN, a Dutch multi-service telecommunications operator, and was a member of the company's Management Board. His global senior leadership roles have included British Airways, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Jumeirah Group in Dubai.

"Frank brings deep experience in delivering financial results, modernizing legacy networks, transforming the customer experience and driving growth in highly competitive markets. We are excited to have him lead WOW!'s business transformation," said Brian Cassidy, President and Head of Media at Crestview Partners. "We also thank Teresa Elder for her strong leadership of WOW! over the last eight years and wish her well in the future."

Jonathan Friesel, Senior Managing Director and Head of Fiber at DigitalBridge, said, "We welcome Frank van der Post to WOW! as we accelerate our growth plans. Under Frank's experienced leadership, we look forward to investing in network and customer experience enhancements, pursuing operational excellence, and delivering an exceptional connected experience over WOW!'s high-performance networks."

"I want to thank our investment partners for their trust and confidence in me and for the opportunity to lead WOW! into new growth," Frank van der Post said. "The support and resources of DigitalBridge and Crestview will benefit not only the company and its employees, but most especially our customers, as we invest in network performance and reliability, focus on delivering a great customer experience, and ignite new growth in highly competitive markets."

DigitalBridge and Crestview announced that affiliated investment funds completed their previously announced take-private acquisition of WOW! on December 31, 2025. With the completion of the transaction, WOW! common stock is no longer traded or listed on any public securities exchange.

About DigitalBridge

DigitalBridge (NYSE: DBRG) is a leading global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure. With a heritage of 30 years investing in and operating businesses across the digital ecosystem, including cell towers, data centers, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure, the DigitalBridge team manages $108 billion of infrastructure assets on behalf of its limited partners and shareholders. For more information, visit: www.digitalbridge.com.

About Crestview

Founded in 2004, Crestview is a New York-based private equity firm focused on the middle market. The firm manages funds with over $10 billion of aggregate capital commitments and is led by a group of partners who have complementary experience and backgrounds in private equity, finance, operations and management. Crestview has senior investment professionals focused on sourcing and managing investments in each of the firm's specialty areas: media, industrials, and financial services. For more information, please visit www.crestview.com.

About WOW!

WOW! is one of the nation's leading broadband providers delivering high-speed Internet services, cable TV, home phone, mobile phone, business data, voice, and cloud services to homes and businesses in 20 markets, including Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. For more information, visit wowway.com.

Media Contacts

DigitalBridge
Jonathan Keehner/Sarah Salky
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
(212) 355-4449
dbrg-jf@joelefrank.com

Crestview
Jeffrey Taufield or Daniel Yunger
Kekst CNC
(212) 521-4800
jeffrey.taufield@kekstcnc.com or daniel.yunger@kekstcnc.com

WideOpenWest, Inc.
Debra Havins
(720) 527-8214
Debra.havins@wowinc.com

Andrew Walton
(610) 585-2123
awalton@dbwireholdings.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digitalbridge-and-crestview-partners-appoint-frank-van-der-post-as-ceo-of-wideopenwest-wow-302653186.html

SOURCE WideOpenWest (WOW!)

FAQ

Who was appointed CEO of WideOpenWest (WOW!) and when?

Frank van der Post was appointed CEO effective January 6, 2026.

What happened to WOW! stock after the take-private by DigitalBridge and Crestview?

Affiliated funds completed the take-private on December 31, 2025; WOW! common stock is no longer traded or listed.

What relevant experience does Frank van der Post bring to WOW!?

He led Breezeline's U.S. fiber-broadband business with operations in 13 states and held senior commercial roles at KPN and other global firms.

How will DigitalBridge and Crestview support WOW! under the new CEO?

They plan to invest in network performance, customer experience, and operational improvements under his leadership.

Does the CEO change affect WOW! shareholders of record?

The take-private completed on December 31, 2025, and public trading of WOW! common stock has ceased.