Berlusconi’s MFE-MediaForEurope N.V. has filed a notification for the “acquisition of de facto sole control over ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, Unterföhring, Germany.”
The merger notification announcement according to § 10 Cartel Act was filed at Austria’s Federal Competition Authority on December 13, 2022. The deadline for bringing in an application pursuant to § 11(1) Cartel Act will end on January 10, 2023.
Entrepreneurs whose legal or economic interests are affected by the merger can submit a written statement at the Federal Competition Authority or the Federal Cartel Prosecutor within 14 days from publication date.
A ProSiebenSat.1 spokesperson declined to comment when approached by Broadband TV News.
The move follows the constant increase of MFE’s shareholding in ProSiebenSat.1 to currently around 29%.
[UPDATE, December 18, 2022] Reuters reports that the filing was as a necessary step under Austrian law and did not represent a new development in MFE’s courting of the German company, referring to sources close to the matter.
