Fininvest, the holding company of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, says that it has increased its stake in the German pay-TV operator Premiere to 3.13% from less than 3%.
The announcement was made because German rules stipulate that once the threshold of a 3% stake in a company is reached, a public statement has to be made. Fininvest controls Berlusconi’s Italian broadcasting interest in Mediaset, which includes the major commercial channel Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete 4, as well as Mediaset Premium.
The development is interesting, as Murdoch’s News Corp is a major shareholder in Premiere, while in Italy News Corp’s Sky Italia is a major competitor.
