Italy's Sae group completes acquisition of historic newspaper La Stampa
What's the deal? Italian media group SaeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has completed its acquisition of La Stampa, one of Italy's oldest and most prominent daily newspapers. To facilitate the deal, Sae created a sub-holding called Sae Piemonte, in which Gruppo Sae holds 51% and Toto Holding owns 49%. This entity will hold the majority stake in La Stampa Sae, the new company that will own the newspaper.
Massimo Briolini will serve as chief executive officer, while Paolo Ceretti will take the role of chairman. Other shareholders in the new structure include Fondazione di Sardegna, Carimonte Holding, Sportcast, and Reale Mutua. Piedmontese shareholders collectively hold 42%.
Why now? The deal follows a preliminary agreement signed in March 2026 between Sae and Gedi, La Stampa's previous owner. The transaction was expected to close by June, and the finalisation has now landed on schedule. It fits into Sae's broader industrial growth strategy, which focuses on expanding its presence in Italian media.
What could go wrong? Media acquisitions carry inherent risks — declining print revenues, the challenge of digital transformation, and the delicate task of preserving editorial independence under new ownership. Sae has pledged to guarantee continuity, stability, and respect for La Stampa's identity and its local, national, and international reach. Whether that promise holds will depend on execution.
The signal: This acquisition underscores the accelerating consolidation of Italy's legacy media sector, where historic titles are increasingly migrating from traditional publishing houses to industrial groups betting on portfolio-scale economics. With Sae still at a breakout growth stage, the La Stampa deal represents a significant step up in ambition — though the real test will be whether its regional media playbook can sustain a nationally prominent title amid structural headwinds facing European print.
Read more: lastampa.it
