Italian broadcaster MFE-MediaForEurope has asked a group of banks for a €3.4 billion euro loan to cover any financing it may need related to a possible takeover of German media group ProSiebenSat.1.
This is reported by Reuters with reference to a source, who has direct knowledge of the matter, but spoke on condition of anonymity as talks are private, confirming a report in Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.
According to the source, MFE has asked for a commitment for a five-year loan by as early as 5 December 2024. MFE, which is ProSiebenSat.1’s largest single shareholder with a 29.99% stake, wants to have the financing ready to support any potential needs linked to ProSiebenSat.1 in 2025, which includes a possible buyout offer, the person said.
The person stressed that while MFE wanted to be ready to move, any decision was not imminent. MFE and ProSiebenSat.1 declined to comment. The lenders working on the loan are Banco BPM, BNP Paribas, BPER Banca, Deutsche Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Mediobanca and UniCredit, according to the source.
MFE already approached banks in April 2024 to finance a potential ProSiebenSat.1 acquisition, securing €4 billion for the move.
