Mediaset looking to decide future of pay TV platform by June

Mediaset vice-chairman Piersilvio Berlusconi confirmed that the Italian media company had received interest from international operators in its pay TV business yesterday.

Berlusconi told a shareholders meeting that Mediaset did not want to sell the business and that no binding agreement had been signed. However, he said that the company takes a favourable view of an industrial partnership to develop Mediaset Premium and Mediaset’s 22% stake in Spain’s Digital+.

Berlusconi said that he hoped a deal could be finalised by June. However said Mediaset placed a higher value on the Premium business than that given by analysts recently.

Berlusconi said that Mediaset could pay for a share of Serie A football rights from the cash generated by the pay TV platform and that the company did not need to seek external capital for this.

Berlusconi also told shareholders that Mediaset had no further plans to cut costs, despite uncertainty about the Italian advertising market.