ACUNMEDYA becomes a strategic investor in SPORT1: Sport1 Medien AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Swiss-based media group Highlight Communications AG, and the international media and entertainment group ACUNMEDYA, based in Istanbul, agreed on a comprehensive cooperation: As part of the landmark deal, ACUNMEDYA will acquire 50.00 percent of the shares in Sport1 GmbH.
Istanbul | Ismaning, February 23, 2024
In addition to the investment, an extensive content partnership is also planned as part of the strategic alliance. Thus, internationally renowned and already very successful entertainment and sports formats, such as EXATLON, are to be brought to German TV on SPORT1.
ACUNMEDYA and Highlight Communications AG join their forces to revolutionize content creation and captivating audience with compelling and innovative content. The launch of the partnership will be ACUNMEDYA’s international hit format EXATLON. The globally successful sports reality format is set to launch on SPORT1 in fall 2024. Created by ACUNMEDYA, it uniquely blends sports, reality and entertainment and is captivating a global audience. EXATLON, where the contestants face intense physical and strategic challenges, testing their endurance, agility and mental strength, has gained widespread appeal globally boosting the market shares.
The completion of the transaction is still subject to various conditions, in particular the approval of media and antitrust authorities.
Acun Ilıcalı, Founder and Owner of the ACUNMEDYA Group: “We are very excited for our partnership with Highlight Group with which we share the same vision and passion for sports and entertainment. 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.”
Bernhard Burgener, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Sport1 Medien AG: “With ACUNMEDYA Group, our Company has gained an outstanding strategic investor as a partner. I have been observing Acun Ilıcalı’s impressive entrepreneurial development for a very long time and am firmly convinced that we can expand SPORT1 and make it more successful together with him.”
About ACUNMEDYA Group
ACUNMEDYA is a leading media and entertainment group empowered by the vision to deliver inspiring and creative content worldwide. ACUNMEDYA’s continuous and accelerating track is driven by its original formats and adaptations of world-renowned TV hit shows for its audiences around the world. ACUNMEDYA produces more than 5.000 hours of high quality television programs every year and delivers it to more than 15 countries globally.
ACUNMEDYA Group, which has extensive experience in broadcasting through its own TV and streaming channels and global productions, also owns the world’s largest open air production hub in Dominican Republic hosting many reality shows globally.
Acun Ilıcalı, who is the Owner and Founder of ACUNMEDYA Group, has transformed TV8 into one of the leading television channels of Turkiye and created EXXEN, a premier streaming service. He is also the owner of Hull City Football Club in the UK, merging the excitement of soccer with the creativity of entertainment.
About SPORT1 MEDIEN Group
Sport1 Medien AG is an internationally operating media company based in Ismaning near Munich. With its subsidiaries Sport1 GmbH, Magic Sports Media GmbH, Match IQ GmbH and PLAZAMEDIA GmbH, the SPORT1 MEDIEN Group covers the entire value chain in the sports sector: SPORT1 as the leading multi-channel sports platform in German-speaking countries with its TV, online, mobile, audio and social media channels, MAGIC SPORTS MEDIA as a marketing company in the areas of betting, poker and casino, the full-service sports event and consulting agency Match IQ as a partner of federations, leagues and clubs in internationalization, matchday management and the organization of friendly matches, tournaments, training camps and trips abroad, as well as PLAZAMEDIA as a leading content solutions provider in the sports and entertainment sector for all media channels. This market positioning offers unique opportunities for customers and partners, including advertising companies and agencies, media houses, platform providers, sports associations, leagues and clubs.
