beIN Sports CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi weighs $820m bid for Turkish football broadcaster Digiturk [divider]
beIN Sports CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi is preparing an $820m bid for Turkish football broadcaster Digiturk according to reports from Turkey.
Digiturk has received interest from a number of potential buyers since Turkey’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) seized all assets of the Çukurova Group (53 percent of the company), majority owners of Digiturk in July 2013.
Providence currently owns 47 percent of the Digiturk platform.
Digiturk is valued at around $1.5 billion and holds the rights to the Turkish Super Lig.
The league’s broadcasting value has seen a 40 fold rise in 16 years and Digiturk has a $560 million-a-year deal for exclusive rights to the Super Lig.
The Turkish league viewing rights are currently the sixth most valuable in Europe and rapidly catching up with the continents elite.
The English Premier league is the most valued competition, followed by the Italian Serie A, French Ligue1, Germany Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga and then the Turkish Super League.
Digiturk is a Turkish satellite television provider, which has broadcast Turkish Super League games via its affiliated sports channel Lig TV since 2001.
Lig TV airs every league game and additionally hosts football related programs.
Digiturk has been pushing for overseas coverage of the Turkish League and recently struck a two-year deal with MP & Silva to distribute a weekly highlights package for the Turkish Super League.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi is also Chairman of Qatar Sports Investments, President of the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) and Vice President of the Asian Tennis Federation for West Asia (ATF).
Al-Khelaïfi is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paris Saint-Germain Football Club in France.
beIN Sport is a global network of sports channels jointly owned and operated by Qatari Sports Investments, an affiliate of Al Jazeera Media Network and American media company Turner Broadcasting System.
