Advanced Television

Mediaset seeks European partners for digital platform

December 5, 2016

From Branislav Pekic in Rome

Despite the ongoing dispute with French group Vivendi, Italian broadcaster Mediaset is pushing ahead with its pan-European digital platform.

According to Mediaset VP and CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi, although the original idea was proposed to Vivendi, the project could now include broadcasters in France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

He explained that the platform is the only way for European broadcasters to compete with the invasion of large global operators such as Netflix and Amazon.

Although Berlusconi admitted that there has been no new contact with Vivendi, he does not reject the possibility of a deal that could also include Telecom Italia as a third-party.

He pointed out that Vivendi’s rejection of the agreement to buy pay-TV unit Mediaset Premium has had a significant impact on the company, which has lost 30 per cent of its value.

A report by Italian news agency Ansa mentioned that Mediaset’s possible partners in the new European digital platform could include ITV or Channel 4 in the UK, ProSieben in Germany, TF1 in France and Telecinco in Spain.

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