The private TV Markíza resides in the Záhorská Bystrica borough of Bratislava. (source: Sme - Gabriel Kuchta)
The ownership of commercial broadcaster TV Markíza is likely to change hands, since the Penta investment group along with the Chinese-based CEFC has lodged a binding offer to buy out the European portfolio of the American group CME, the Sme daily reported on December 19 citing the Reuters newswire.
CME owns a number of television stations in six central and eastern European countries, including TV Markíza in Slovakia and TV Nova in the Czech Republic. Penta and CEFC are offering €2 billion for the central European broadcaster, with just the final details still to be discussed in the talks.
Such a transaction would not come as any surprise, according to Sme, pointing out that Penta has expressed interest in taking over TV Markíza since 2014.
Recently, Penta announced that it was purchasing all magazines issued by the Ringier Axel Springer publishing house.
Disclaimer: The Penta financial group has a 40-percent share in Petit Press, the co-owner of The Slovak Spectator.
