Lisbon, Nov. 27, 2025 (Lusa) - The chief executive officer (CEO) of Portuguese media group, Impresa has stated that the group is proud of its new partnership with Italy's MFE, with whom it shares a vision of the future based on the production of quality content and technological innovation.
Impresa announced on Wednesday its partnership with Italy's MFE - MediaForEurope, in which the latter now holds 32.934% of the Portuguese SIC TV channel, while the founding Balsemão family retains control of the group with 33.738%.
"We are very proud of this partnership, as MFE is a leading media group in Europe, with whom we share a vision of the future based on the production of quality content, proximity to viewers and technological innovation," said Francisco Pedro Balsemão, quoted in a statement.
"My family and I would like to thank Pier Silvio Berlusconi, his family and the entire MFE team for the trust and spirit of collaboration with which this agreement was built," continues the CEO of SIC's owner, adding that "Impresa brings to this project its unique experience, its recognised value of freedom and journalistic independence in Portugal and its unique connection" with the Portuguese public.
"We are convinced that we will be able to develop tangible and lasting synergies that will benefit all parties involved, particularly in terms of their growth, the expansion of digital activity and the potential development of new business areas," concludes Francisco Pedro Balsemão.
For its part, the MFE group, in a statement to the Italian market, states that "Francisco Pinto Balsemão's legacy in shaping the Portuguese media landscape is widely recognised and highly regarded" by the Italian company.
"The continued involvement of the Balsemão family will be fundamental in driving Impresa's strategic direction and addressing the challenges ahead," concludes MFE.
The CEO of Impresa highlights the choice of MFE because it shares the same vision for the future of the media, is a partner in the sector and is financially robust, in an internal letter to which Lusa had access.
"In recent months, we have received proposals from different entities. With several alternatives emerging, it was important for the Balsemão family, including the founder of Impresa, Francisco Pinto Balsemão, to ensure that certain strict criteria were met in order to choose the right shareholder," says Francisco Pedro Balsemão in the letter.
In fact, "it was on the basis of these criteria that we decided to enter into exclusive negotiations with MFE [MediaForEurope], which have now culminated in this partnership," the manager continued, noting that the investment agreement announced on Wednesday "is excellent news."
Firstly, "we chose MFE because we share the same vision for the future of media, we identify with its strategy, namely the need to create strong media groups with the scale to face increasingly global and, in the case of large technology platforms, unfair competition," adds Francisco Pedro Balsemão.
"With MFE, Impresa, in addition to maintaining its shareholder stability, consolidates its position as the largest private media group in Portugal, joining forces with a partner that is one of the largest European groups, with a presence in six countries on the continent, which will be a huge competitive advantage," he points out.
Furthermore, MFE "is also a partner in the sector, with media as its core business. Like Impresa, MFE does not see this activity as just another area within a conglomerate of other businesses. And, like Impresa, MFE is a family-owned group with a strong tradition in media," he maintains.
Finally, "MFE's financial strength is also something that should be highlighted," he points out, noting that "the group has grown significantly in recent years, with a professionalised structure led by Pier Silvio Berlusconi, a management team that is highly regarded in Italy, and further strengthened after the recent successful purchase of more than 75% of the German giant ProSieben."
The Balsemão family "will remain at Impresa, contributing to the Group's growth and uncompromisingly respecting the values - in particular, freedom of expression and editorial independence - that Francisco Pinto Balsemão left us as a legacy. And now, on a large and international scale, which makes us very proud," emphasises Francisco Pedro Balsemão.
The investment agreement with MFE, a media group based in Italy, will be carried out through a capital increase, which will give the Italian group a 32.9% stake in Impresa.
Under the terms of the shareholders' agreement signed on Wednesday between the parties, "control of Impresa will continue to be exercised by Impreger, which will hold 33.7% of the Group, and whose majority shareholder is Balseger, in turn owned in equal parts by the five children of Francisco Pinto Balsemão," emphasises the CEO, stressing that "the agreements will only become effective after obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, among other conditions".
"We have worked hard to strengthen our profitability and relevance, solidifying Impresa's leading position in the Portuguese media market," but "with the growing globalised supply of content and the rapid fragmentation of consumption habits, the context has changed dramatically," he says.
"We concluded that, in order to continue to grow, we would have to join forces with third parties and seek to establish a structural shareholder partnership. However, and without false modesty, we could not join forces with just any partners," he points out.
The future of Impresa "depends on each one of us" and "together, we are starting a new chapter. It is now up to us to write it in the best possible way," concludes Francisco Pedro Balsemão.
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