Hull City owner Acun Ilicali addresses major new £25m European deal
The Tigers chief has continued the expansion of his media empire
Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has brokered a fresh deal to help extend his media empire after acquiring a 50 per cent stake in German terrestrial sports television network Sport1.
The 30m euro rated deal, which equates to around £25m, sees Acun Medya take a significant stake from current owners Swiss media group Highlight Communications with German media suggesting the agreement will be a bridge between two different cultures in both Turkey and Germany
Ilicali, who bought City from the Allam family in January 2022, was at the MKM Stadium on Saturday shortly after concluding the deal to see his Tigers side draw 1-1 with West Brom, as they continue their push for promotion to the Premier League.
tt’s expected that the first production to be adapted for a German-speaking audience will be the sports reality competition “Exatlon” with numerous other plans in the pipeline. Ilicali is known for a host of reality shows including Masterchef, The Voice and Survivor. Just last week, the effervescent Turkish owner was captured playing foot-tennis with Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, before revealing his plan to bring the 43-year-old to the MKM Stadium next month and watch Liam Rosenior’s side in action.
“We are very excited for our partnership with Highlight Group with which we share the same vision and passion for sports and entertainment,” Ilicali said. “We hope to create a success story together by delivering inspiring innovative programs to our audiences in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. I am looking forward to taking it to a new level together with the Sport1 team
Meanwhile, Ilicali this week met with head of UEFA Aleksander Čeferin at a meeting in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, to discuss the Tigers’ owner’s latest projects as he continues discussions over investing in another European club having ended his ownership of Irish club Shelbourne
