Mediaset Group - statistics & facts
Mediaset S.p.A. is an Italian-based mass media company. Also known as Mediaset Group, it is the largest commercial broadcaster in Italy. Founded in 1978 by Silvio Berlusconi, it is still largely controlled by the former prime minister’s family.
Although Mediaset is mainly focused on the television market, it also operates news, sport and entertainment websites, in addition to a 50.1 percent ownership of the Spanish broadcasting firm Mediaset España Comunicación and the film production company Medusa Film. Broadcasts are not only received in Italy, but also in neighboring countries (Albania, Croatia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland and Vatican City).
The regular television service began in 1978, with the local channel Telemilano. Two years later, the channel became national with the name Canale 5. As of June 2016, Mediaset is one of the main broadcasting companies in Italy, registering about 31.8 percent of the day time audience share. The highest audience is usually registered between 12am and 6pm.
Mediaset has three main television channels: Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete 4. Canale 5 is the channel for the entire family; Italia 1 is mainly for children and young adults, while Rete 4 is aimed at a mature audience. Out of the three channels, Canale 5 is the one with the highest audience share and Rete 4 the one with the lowest. As of 2016, Italia 1 registered its highest audience between 12am and 3pm, which corresponds to the time of the day when children come home from school and eat before doing their homework.
In 2005, the group launched a pay digital terrestrial television service: Mediaset Premium. This new service offered live Serie A soccer, films. theatre and events. A few years later, the company decided to create a series of apps in order to make access to their services easier for the public.
Although Mediaset is mainly focused on the television market, it also operates news, sport and entertainment websites, in addition to a 50.1 percent ownership of the Spanish broadcasting firm Mediaset España Comunicación and the film production company Medusa Film. Broadcasts are not only received in Italy, but also in neighboring countries (Albania, Croatia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland and Vatican City).
The regular television service began in 1978, with the local channel Telemilano. Two years later, the channel became national with the name Canale 5. As of June 2016, Mediaset is one of the main broadcasting companies in Italy, registering about 31.8 percent of the day time audience share. The highest audience is usually registered between 12am and 6pm.
Mediaset has three main television channels: Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete 4. Canale 5 is the channel for the entire family; Italia 1 is mainly for children and young adults, while Rete 4 is aimed at a mature audience. Out of the three channels, Canale 5 is the one with the highest audience share and Rete 4 the one with the lowest. As of 2016, Italia 1 registered its highest audience between 12am and 3pm, which corresponds to the time of the day when children come home from school and eat before doing their homework.
In 2005, the group launched a pay digital terrestrial television service: Mediaset Premium. This new service offered live Serie A soccer, films. theatre and events. A few years later, the company decided to create a series of apps in order to make access to their services easier for the public.
