BeIN Media Group secures full control of Asian sports channels

BeIN Media Group has secured full control of all its beIN Sports channels in the Asian market after today (Thursday) completing the acquisition of the remaining shares held by the MP & Silva agency.

MP & Silva entered in a 50:50 joint venture with beIN Media Group in 2013, and launched beIN Sports channels in Indonesia in June that year, with football’s English Premier League as principal content.

In July 2013, beIN Sports launched channels into Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Thailand, distributing sports content including the 2014 Asian Games multi-sport event and top football leagues from Italy (Serie A), France (Ligue 1), North America (Major League Soccer) and Brazil (Paulistão and Brasileirão).

The sale, first announced in September, is now complete and gives beIN Media Group full control of all channels.

Marco Auletta, chief executive of MP & Silva, said: “We are very pleased to complete this transaction with beIN Media Group, and proud to have been one of the pioneers of this success story. This venture is a great example of MP & Silva’s ability to develop tailor-made solutions to meet specific market needs.”