Poland reviews TVN takeover by Trump-linked media giant Skydance

Poland's Ministry of State Assets on Thursday launched a formal national security review of commercial broadcaster TVN following its acquisition by US media group Skydance, ministry communications director Przemyslaw Kuk told Polish media, warning that the $110 billion global transaction completed earlier this month could face retrospective restrictions.

Administrative proceedings opened

The ministry received formal notification of the ownership change late Tuesday and initiated proceedings Wednesday under Poland's 2015 investment control law, Kuk said. "The MAP will conduct proceedings in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 24 July 2015 on the control of certain investments," he stated, adding that authorities have 90 days to decide whether to approve the structure or order a sale of shares.

Strategic protection measures

Warsaw placed TVN on a list of strategically protected firms at the end of 2024 alongside rival broadcaster Polsat and several defense companies, citing risks of foreign interference and hostile takeovers. Prime Minister Donald Tusk linked the designation to concerns about potential Russian influence over Poland's media landscape, while the European Commission approved the Warner Bros. Discovery merger conditionally in July following an antitrust review that did not assess media pluralism.

Editorial independence concerns

Reporters Without Borders warned in July that the Skydance takeover posed a "direct risk" to TVN24's editorial independence. "TVN24 has spent years proving its independence in the face of political pressure at home," RSF said, warning that those standards could be "quietly eroded by a corporate merger decided in Los Angeles." Skydance is led by David Ellison — son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison — who has maintained close relations with US President Donald Trump, and the combined company now controls CNN, CBS and HBO alongside TVN.