Mediaset Premium was approached by Sky Italia
Mediaset, the Italian broadcacsting company, was approached by Sky's Italian arm about purchasing its pay-TV unit Mediaset Premium, according to a newswire report.
The offer for the unprofitable business was rebuffed, Reuters reported, citing two sources close to the matter, one of whom said informal contact has still been maintained between Sky Italia and Mediaset.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera has been in contact again with Silvio Berlusconi-controlled Mediaset about the same unit, the sources told the newswire as well.
Spain-based Telefonica bought an 11% stake in Mediaset Premium last year, and the same year Mediaset also announced it was negotiating a cooperation in pay-TV with Al Jazeera, France's Vivendi, and others. These negotiations came to naught, Mediaset announced last month.
Mediaset Premium had EUR 538.4m in revenues in 2014, a 2.5% fall year-over-year, although Mediaset said in March that it would reach break-even in 2015 and be profitable thereafter.