English second-tier soccer club, Hull City has confirmed via a club statement that Acun Medya Group, founded by Turkish businessman and TV personality, Acun Ilicali has completed the purchase of the football club.
The takeover which is reportedly worth £30 million brings to an end the 11-year reign of the Allam family as owners. The full acquisition of the club has been approved and ratified by the English Football League (EFL) and sees Acun Medya Group take full control of the Championship side with immediate effect.
The Turkish millionaire was also in attendance at the club’s stadium, MKM stadium at Wednesday’s Championship match against Blackburn where his side won 2 – 0 after he was confirmed as the club’s new owner 90 minutes before kickoff. The 52-year-old has spent the last six months working on a deal for his Acun Medya group to purchase the Championship side, reaching an agreement with the previous owners, Allam family as far back as October.
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What they are saying
Following the purchase of the club, Acun Ilicali said: “I am happy that I have fulfilled one of my biggest dreams today. We are starting a beautiful journey with Hull City. We have many big dreams and goals to achieve together with our fans.
“I would like to thank the Allam family for the friendship and sincerity they have shown during this process. I genuinely believe that we will achieve success with the amazing fans of this beautiful city.”
Ehab Allam, the departing vice-Chairman of Hull City, said: “We are happy and proud to be leaving Hull City on a strong and stable financial footing. During our tenure, we have worked hard to create a sustainable model and successful academy set-up, giving the club the foundations it needs for the future.
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“The time has now come for a new owner to take up the mantle and I’d like to wish Acun and his team the very best for the future. We have taken a very business-led approach to running the club and I truly hope Acun can rebuild the relationship with the fanbase and also bring back the success on the pitch that fans crave and deserve.”
Who is Acun Ilicali?
The 52-year-old is the founder of Acun Medya Group. He is a Turkish broadcaster, entrepreneur, international TV producer and businessman. He is the owner of TV channels TV8 and TV8.5, Turkey’s digital platform Exxen, production companies in several countries, including the United States, Mexico, Romania, Hungary, Brazil, Colombia and Greece.
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What you should know about Acun Medya Group
- Acun Medya Group, established in 2004 by creative force, entertainment and sports enthusiast, digital platform owner and operator Acun Ilıcalı, is a leading international production company and broadcasting group.
- The company at present, in addition to producing daytime and primetime content in Europe, South and North America, also operates two national mainstream TV channels in Turkey, TV8 and TV8,5 and Exxen which is one of the most-subscribed OTT service.
- Acun Medya Group is a passionate and devoted group of creatives and format producers who aim to deliver entertaining, inspirational, and high-quality content to audiences.
