MFE Advertising (MFE ADV), the sales house of MFE-MediaForEurope, has announced a major restructuring of its international business, effective 1st January 2026. The reorganisation will see Publieurope, which handles TV ad sales for Mediaset in Italy and Spain, merged into MFE ADV by the end of the year. The move will consolidate Publieurope’s digital and marketing activities within MFE ADV, unifying the group’s relationships with international clients and media agencies.
MFE ADV calls the plan a “key step in the group’s international growth strategy”, bringing six sales houses under its international brand, with over 1,500 employees across Milan, Madrid, Munich, London and Paris. The sales house will manage an asset portfolio of owned and partner broadcasters that covers more than ten European countries, reaching 300 million people, according to the business.
Publieurope’s Paola Colombo (Chief Digital Officer), Matteo Cardani (Chief Marketing Officer) and Michele Giraudo (Chief Revenue Officer), will also join the MFE Advertising Board of Directors, which is chaired by MFE CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi and led by MFE ADV CEO Stefano Sala.
Joining up Germany and Italy
The restructuring continues parent company MFE’s ambitions to build a pan-European media powerhouse, having recently acquired a controlling stake in German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1. The company previously secured full control of Mediaset España in 2022, before reorganising its Spanish sales house in 2023. In today’s announcement, the group said “it is now the turn of Germany and Italy.”
At the Italian sales unit, Publitalia ’80, Stefano Sala will continue to serve as Chairman and CEO, while Matteo Sordo, formerly General Manager, Client Division, has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer. Meanwhile Nicola Lussana, currently General Manager of the Agency Division at Publitalia ’80 and CEO of Mediamond, will become CEO of Seven.One Media, ProSieben’s media sales house.
“Nicola’s proven experience in the Italian market will enable us to implement the cross-media model quickly and efficiently also in the DACH region,” said Stefano Sala. “I extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes to Nicola as he embarks on this new challenge, confident that we will continue to have by our side a highly valued professional, respected colleague, and dear friend.”
Facilitating cross-border sales
The reorganisation follows last week’s announcement that MFE is replacing the ProSieben leadership, with Marco Giordani, Chief Financial Officer of MFE, replacing incumbent Bert Habets as CEO. ProSieben’s CFO Martin Mildner and COO Markus Breitenecker are also leaving the company.
As part of its pan-European strategy, MFE has sought to influence the direction of ProSieben over the past few years as the company’s largest shareholder, and CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi has criticised the direction taken by the German management. Now in control of the media company, Berlusconi is putting his stamp on the German group, and seeking to compete with international streaming giants by enabling its sales houses to sell ads across European markets.
At the same time, MFE is looking to compete with RTL Group in Germany, following RTL’s acquisition of Sky Deutschland announced in June. RTL Group’s own sales house, RTL AdAlliance, has also been working to expand its footprint in order to facilitate cross-border ad campaigns in Europe.
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