Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the chief executive of beIN Media Group, has reportedly struck a deal to acquire a majority shareholding in Turkish pay-television operator Digiturk.
Various reports in Turkey have said that Al-Khelaifi has agreed to pay $820m (€672m) for a 53-per-cent stake in Digiturk, which has exclusive media rights for the country’s top-tier football league, the Super Lig, through to 2017.
The shareholding is to be acquired from the state-owned Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, which took control of Digiturk after the provider’s previous owner, Cukorova Holding, ran up significant debts.
Turkish-language channel Al Jazeera Turk, part of the media company’s expanding portfolio of platforms, sealed a digital licence in the country last year.
The agreement has not been confirmed officially, but prominent media analysis company IHS Technology said that the deal was part of the media company’s “internationalisation strategy” following expansion into various markets, including confirmation two months ago of a takeover of pay-television broadcaster Setanta Sports Australia.
IHS added that there will be about 5.8 million pay-television households in Turkey by the end of this year, rising to 7.6 million in 2020.