İstanbulWithin the scope of the investigation carried out regarding the allegation of “encouraging illegal betting”, businessman Sadettin Saran and about some suspects, “S SPORT” on March 4, 2025, for allegedly “advertising illegal betting” on football matches published on their website. Request for imprisonment from 1 to 3 yearsThe indictment was prepared.
The defendants at the hearing held at Istanbul 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance; Founder and founder of Saran Holding Fenerbahçe Sports Club Chairman Sadettin Saran, his brother and S Sport Board Member Kenan SaranS Sports General Manager Emre Eren See Saran Holding CEO’s Azade Zeynep Haksal and his lawyers attended.
At the hearing, which was planned to start at 11:00, but started at 13:30, Saran declared that his monthly income was 5 million TL.
“WE DO NOT HAVE ILLEGAL BETTING PROMOTION ACTIVITIES”
Saran, who started his defense by emphasizing that he is the founder and honorary president of Saran Holding, stated that one of the businesses they do is sports broadcasting.
Stating that they broadcast broadcasts not only in Türkiye but also abroad, Saran said that these broadcasts mainly include competitions.
“We do not engage in any activity that encourages illegal betting.” said Saran, “We do not have the chance to touch the signal from outside. We use the broadcast as we receive it from outside. We are probably talking about advertisements within the field. We do not have the chance to interfere with the advertisements here.” he said.
“IT IS NOT TECHNICALLY POSSIBLE TO INTERFERE IN THE BROADCAST”
Saran, the judge “As a publisher, do you have the chance to intervene in broadcasts locally?” He answered the question as follows:
“It’s something that degrades the quality tremendously. Changing the ads would mess up the signal. It would make it unwatchable. It’s a very complicated situation. It’s not technically possible.”
After Saran’s defense, the trial judge again “Is it possible to blur?” posed the question. Saran responded to this question as follows:
“When you blur, for example, Arda Güler passes by, but you cannot see Güler. Since the football players are moving on the field, everything, the goal, the player, the goal, can be blurred.”
“WE WERE THE FIRST STARTED TO OBJECT TO THIS”
Saran defended himself with the following statements against the question of whether an attempt was made to block these advertisements in the competitions broadcast on 25 July 2023, 8 August 2023, 17 August 2023 and 24 November 2014:
“We are the biggest, but we are not the only ones doing this. We were the first to start opposing this, including all the broadcasters who did this. We objected before the prosecutor’s office launched an investigation. We told those abroad to give us clean feed. We have not thought that this is the case for years. We did not say that everyone is wrong anyway. We explained the sensitivities in Türkiye to them. We did not start broadcasting the broadcasts of the Spanish and Italian leagues, even though we had a penal clause. No broadcaster in Türkiye did this. And our customers cursed us, even to the point of insulting.
In fact, my brother and I met with the UEFA President and talked about this issue. We explained our concerns, and then he told us that he had discussed this issue with the President. I am the child of a civil servant and I care about our reputation. I came to these places tooth and nail. My involvement in such a crime is against the normal course of life. Therefore, I demand the acquittal of me and my friends.”
“OUR ONLY OBLIGATION IS TO PUBLISH THE COMPETITION”
Kenan Saran, Saran’s brother and Board Member of S Sport, later made his defense and stated that he was the person who made the negotiations and negotiations regarding the company’s broadcasts abroad.
Kenan Saran stated that the billboard advertisements on the field belong to the advertising rights of the countries or leagues where the match is played. the judge, “Is this stated in the contract?” He answered the question as follows:
“We are only purchasing the right to broadcast the football match. There is nothing in the contract regarding other issues within the broadcast. Our only obligation is to broadcast the match.
When the documents submitted to the file are examined, it is seen that the advertising rights belong to the league or the country’s federation, not to the flammable organization. As the final broadcaster, we do not have the right to interfere with the live broadcast. “I demand my acquittal.”
“ADVERTISING AND PUBLISHING RIGHTS ARE DIFFERENT”
Saran Holding CEO’s Azade Zeynep Haksal In his defense, “We are the publishing rights holder and publisher. Advertising and publishing rights are different. Intervention is not technologically possible, there is also an expert opinion in this regard. We broadcast these matches in 2023, but the administrative penalty came long after these matches were broadcast. Therefore, we did not broadcast the summer matches.” he said.
FROM THE INDICTMENT
In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Investigation Bureau; Saran and some suspects, Saran Internet Television Publishing Inc. They were requested to be sentenced to imprisonment from 1 to 3 years and a judicial fine of up to 3 thousand days for the crime of “advertising and otherwise encouraging people to place fixed odds or joint bets or games of chance based on sports competitions”, on the grounds that they made illegal betting advertisements on football matches broadcast on the “S SPORT” internet broadcasting platform, which operates within the company.
