Al Jazeera ponders Mediaset stake
July 1, 2014
By Chris Forrester
Not for the first time Al Jazeera is reported to be looking closely at taking a stake in Italian media powerhouse Mediaset’s Premium pay-TV arm.
Dubai’s media is reporting that Sheikh Ali Bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family – which financially backs Al Jazeera – told reporters “anything is possible” at an event in Palermo last Thursday (June 26th). His comments follow on from his comments a day earlier, when he stated: “Mediaset is a big company and a great opportunity for us. We’re evaluating the possibility in different ways”.
Al Jazeera, as well as its high-profile news channels is also expanding its sports divisions, and buying up key sporting assets. It has expanded dramatically its portfolio of beIN Sports channels, extending them throughout the MENA region and to mainland Europe, Asia and North America.