French television host and producer Arthur Essebag and Franco-Israeli billionaire Patrick Drahi are joining forces to acquire the Israeli television channel Reshet 13, alongside a third investor, American John Paulson. The three men announced their alliance Tuesday in a statement sent to AFP, describing the deal as a "turning point in the acquisition" of the channel and a "considerable" strengthening of the transaction, "both financially and strategically." Patrick Drahi had already acquired a stake in Reshet 13 in February, with approximately 15% according to Israeli media.
In Israel, the telecoms magnate already owns i24 News, an international news channel based in Tel Aviv and considered close to Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Reshet 13, which is generally more critical of the ruling coalition, occupies a different position in the Israeli media landscape, leading some observers to see the Prime Minister's influence in this acquisition.
The three investors stated in their press release that they consider Israel "a strategic investment destination" and emphasized their commitment "to Zionist values, strengthening the Israeli economy, and maintaining strong, free, and influential media." This acquisition comes amidst a reform of public broadcasting, with Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi proposing a partial privatization of the public service.
For Patrick Drahi, the operation comes at a difficult financial time: his heavily indebted Altice group had to sell BFMTV and RMC in 2024. Arthur, founder of the production group Satisfaction, brings expertise in the audiovisual sector. The financial details of the transaction and the final distribution of capital among the three partners have not been disclosed.
