MediaForEurope (MFE) could pursue further deals after completing its takeover of German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1, chief executive Pier Silvio Berlusconi said on Wednesday, 11 November, naming France as the next target for European television consolidation.

Berlusconi described France as the “missing piece” in the group’s strategy, saying MFE could be interested in a future tie-up with France’s leading commercial broadcasters, TF1 or M6. He repeated his argument that consolidation is the best way for Europe’s free-to-air broadcasters to compete with streaming giants that are drawing away audiences and advertising revenue.

Profit swings back after ProSieben integration

MFE, controlled by Italy’s Berlusconi family and active in Italy and Spain, said its nine-month adjusted operating profit rose to €110 million, against a pro forma loss of €23 million a year earlier. The company said savings from integrating ProSieben were arriving faster than expected.

Any move into France would face a cautionary precedent. TF1 and M6 abandoned their own merger plans in 2022 after concluding that the remedies demanded by competition regulators would strip out most of the deal’s value. MFE itself previously sought to buy M6 before its owner, RTL, scrapped the sale.

What happens next

No deal has been proposed and no talks have been confirmed. Berlusconi’s comments signal intent rather than a transaction, and any tie-up would need to clear French and European competition scrutiny. The group’s full nine-month results go to its board for approval on 18 November.