Turkey: beIN Media Group will soon acquire the entire Digiturk pay-TV group (Reuters)

The Qatari audiovisual group beIN Media Group is about to complete the acquisition of the entire share capital of Digiturk, a Turkish pay-TV group, according to Reuters on 24/03/2015. "The negotiations are at an advanced level with beIN. They may be finalised in the next couple of weeks," said a source to Reuters.

Digiturk currently owned 53% by TMSF (the savings and insurance fund of the Turkish state) and 47% by Providence Equity Partners, the US private equity group. The reports of interest from beIN Media Network, the parent company of beIN Media Group, in Digiturk had already been published in the English, French and Turkish press in December 2013 and January 2014.

The Turkish press, Middle East media and specialised media had announced the imminent takeover by beIN Media Group of the shares held by TMSF on 18/12/2014. The acquisition should have been formalised before 31/12/2014 or at the beginning of the 2015 year, for an amount of $820m (€671m at 23/12/2014).

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