Italian media group MFE (MediaForEurope) has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a substantial stake in Portugal’s Impresa, which controls the SIC television network and the weekly newspaper Expresso. Impresa has confirmed that its dominant holding company, Balseger (which controls over 50 percent of Impresa), is in talks “exclusively with MFE” to evaluate a strategic acquisition, though Impresa emphasized there is “no binding agreement” at this stage.
Impresa’s latest financials underscore both its scale and its challenges. In 2024, Impresa reported revenue of €182.3 million—roughly flat year-on-year—and achieved an EBITDA of €18.4 million, a 19.5 percent increase over the prior year. However, the company swung to a net loss of €66.2 million in 2024, driven by significant impairment charges; by contrast, in 2023 Impresa posted a more modest loss of €2 million.
For MFE, which already operates in Italy and Spain and recently secured more than 75 percent control of German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1, the deal represents another step in its Iberian and European expansion strategy. Industry commentary suggests that combining Impresa’s Portuguese footprint with MFE’s media assets could deliver cross-border synergies in advertising, content distribution, and operational efficiency.
As Balseger enters exclusivity with MFE, stakeholders will be watching closely for further disclosures around valuation, deal structure, and regulatory approvals. If the transaction materializes, it could reshape the Portuguese media market by aligning SIC, Impresa’s flagship asset, under the umbrella of a broader European media group with ambitions to strengthen its competitive position across Southern Europe.
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