UK newspaper The Telegraph set for US ownership

British right-wing newspaper The Telegraph is set to be acquired by U.S. investment firm RedBird Capital Partners in a deal worth £500 million ($670 million), the two parties announced Friday, according to AFP.

RedBird has reached an "in-principle agreement" to purchase Telegraph Media Group (TMG), which includes the 170-year-old newspaper’s print and digital assets, they said in a joint statement cited by AFP.

The agreement marks the end of a drawn-out sale process that lasted nearly two years and saw intervention from the former Conservative-led UK government.


In late 2023, a US-Emirati consortium, RedBird IMI, had previously struck a deal for TMG. However, concerns over press freedom due to Abu Dhabi's history of media censorship prompted the UK government to force a resale.

RedBird Capital said Friday the new agreement makes it “the sole control owner” of TMG and “unlocks a new era of growth for the title” founded in 1855.

The firm plans to invest in The Telegraph's digital operations, subscriptions, and journalism, aiming to expand the brand internationally. It also noted ongoing talks with “select UK-based minority investors” who have expertise in print media and are committed to maintaining the paper’s editorial values, AFP reported.