Berlusconi group in rumoured takeover of Polish top broadcaster

The MFE-MediaForEurope group, owned by Silvio Berlusconi's family, has secured €3.4 billion in funding for potential acquisitions across Europe, with rumours of a possible sale of top private broadcaster TVN in Poland.

The CEO of the company, Pier Silvio Berlusconi -son of the former Italian prime minister- revealed intentions to invest in Germany and additional markets. As reported by Wirtualne Media, the group is actively observing asset sales in the Netherlands, Portugal, and Poland.

A year ago, Pier Silvio Berlusconi declared the group’s expansion "to resist pressure from multinational corporations.”

At a recent conference near Milan, he stressed the importance of international reach. “I hope that 2025 will be a good year for a change of pace in our international strategy,” he said.

MFE operates several Italian TV channels, including Canale 5, Italia 1, Rete 4, and Tgcom24, as well as radio stations like Radio 105 and Radio Monte Carlo. Additionally, it has Spanish broadcasters such as Telecinco, Cuatro, Be Mad, FDF, Energy, Divinity, and Boing.

The company holds significant shares in German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1. Concerns about additional investment have arisen because Berlusconi was seen as a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Wirtualne Media.

MFE's focus remains on the German market. It owns 29.9% of ProSiebenSat.1, the second-largest TV group in Germany. Asked about acquiring the remaining shares, Berlusconi said it was not easy at the moment.

He observed that positive circumstances for an agreement might arise following Germany's snap elections in February. This is due to the fact that Friedrich Merz's CDU, part of the European People's Party (EPP), and Berlusconi's Forza Italia are the frontrunners.

“We want to assess what we can still do in Germany, but we are also ready for any other possibilities,” said Pier Silvio Berlusconi. Reuters reported that MFE is monitoring the sale of TV assets in the Netherlands, Portugal and Poland. The group and its CEO declined to comment on the reports.

TVN potentially for sale

The Financial Times noted earlier this year that Warner Bros. Discovery, owner of TVN -one of Poland's two main private broadcasters- was considering its strategic options due to increasing competition from Netflix and Disney.

The company wants to focus on growth in streaming, so the sale of TVN is expected to be an option. With TV losing ground, this could be an opportunity to get a good price for the Polish broadcaster, Wirtualne Media also said.

Euractiv reported last week about a possible acquisition of TVN by an investment fund connected to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. There are rumours on the market that Budapest-based TV2 Média Group, which supports Orbán, could also invest in TVN.

“As for TVN, we read the press, but we have no information on whether this company is for sale at all. This is simply press speculation,” the Hungarian company's press office told Wirtualne Media in October.

Another potential acquirer of TVN is the Czech investment group PPF, which oversees several stations across Central and Eastern Europe. Nonetheless, PPF's CEO, Jirzi Szmejce, recently stated in a Reuters interview that the group is not looking to buy TVN, pointing to "other priorities."

Last week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared that the government would issue a decree providing special protection to TVN and Polsat, the two largest broadcasters in the country, shielding them from potential hostile takeovers by foreign firms. This decision faced significant criticism from the opposition, who viewed it as interference in the free market.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl)