Mediaset aims to expand pay-TV presence

Italian broadcaster Mediaset is eyeing 15% of the local pay-TV market in the next five years.

The Silvio Berlusconi-controlled broadcaster, which operates a number of free-to-air and pay-TV channels and services, is targeting the development to compete with News Corp-owned satellite pay-TV operator Sky Italia.

Mediaset currently has around 3% of the country’s pay-TV revenues. Chief financial officer Marco Giordani told local press that it would spend heavily on project development and programme acquisitions. Mediaset launched a subscription based pay-TV model in 2008 that currently has around 3.3 million subscribers.