Channel 13 is set for a change in control after owner Len Blavatnik moved ahead with a new investor group led by hi-tech entrepreneur Assaf Rappaport, stepping back from a previously pursued deal involving telecom magnate Patrick Drahi.
The emerging framework would place control of the broadcaster in the hands of the philanthropic Merit Spread Foundation, backed by a group of Israeli hi-tech investors. The transaction is not yet final and still requires regulatory approval, but it marks a significant turn after weeks of uncertainty over the channel’s ownership.
The deal involves a new fund backed by donors and Israeli entrepreneurs who would put fresh money into Channel 13, help stabilize it financially, and, once approvals are secured, take over as the controlling owner. Blavatnik’s group and Warner Bros. Discovery would remain as minority shareholders.
The indication is that the immediate goal is to shore up the channel’s finances. The new investors are expected to inject substantial funding into the broadcaster at an early stage, both to cover existing pressures and to support future investment in content, management, and digital growth.
The move comes after the alternative path involving Drahi, owner of HOT and i24NEWS, ran into regulatory difficulties.
Drahi deal dropped as new buyers target Channel 13
Reports said the previous arrangement faced obstacles related to competition concerns and the ownership structure, with the Competition Authority rejecting requests for interim financing for the channel under the Drahi framework.
That left the Rappaport-led group as the new preferred option.
The proposed shift was welcomed by Channel 13 management and employees, who had publicly opposed the prospect of Drahi entering the broadcaster. The new backers said the transaction would secure the channel’s future and preserve its editorial independence.
Matan Hodorov, chairman of the News 13 workers’ committee, also welcomed the development, describing Rappaport as a figure who understood the broader public importance of the channel and framing the deal as a rare opportunity to stabilize and grow the broadcaster after years of turbulence.
The developing arrangement is also unusual in the Israeli commercial television market, where media outlets have often been controlled by major business figures whose wealth comes from outside broadcasting. Here, by contrast, the reported model would place formal control with a philanthropic foundation backed by a broader group of investors from the hi-tech sector.
Still, major questions remain unresolved until the deal clears regulation. The parties will need approval before control can formally pass to Merit, and the final ownership structure has not yet been fully detailed publicly.
Even so, the broad picture across the reports is clear: Blavatnik has turned away from the Drahi route, a Rappaport-backed group has emerged as the preferred buyer, and Channel 13 may soon enter a new ownership era built around outside financial support, pending a regulatory green light.