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ITP Media Group secures major acquisition of APAC’s Heart Media Group sparking international expansion across Asia
(MENAFN- Marcomms FZE) ITP Media Group, one of the largest media companies in the Middle East, today announced the acquisition of Singapore-headquartered Heart Media Group, a leading luxury and lifestyle media house. The combined business will now operate in markets home to more than 2 billion people, connecting brands with affluent consumers across the GCC, India and Asia-Pacific.
With the addition of Heart Media Group’s operations, ITP Media Group expands to three new international markets: Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Heart Media brands and teams will operate under the ITP Media name, with integration phased to protect editorial identity, client relationships and the trust of audiences across Asia. It builds on ITP Media Group’s existing operations in India, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, USA and Qatar.
South East Asia represents one of the fastest-growing global markets for the media and entertainment industry, expanding at 6% per year with some regional markets up to 8.4% (PwC Global E&M Outlook). ITP Media Group’s investment aligns with a growing demand amongst wealthy audiences in these regions, increasingly looking for media and luxury brands that serve their interests. Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the top global hub for cross-border wealth (BCG 2026 Global Wealth Report), while there are now more than 4,000 single-family offices across Hong Kong and Singapore, quadrupling over the past five years. Meanwhile, Malaysia is anticipated to see a 20% climb in ultra-high-net-worth individuals over the next five years (Knight Frank – The Wealth Report 2026).
The addition of Heart Media’s luxury publications directly caters to these audiences and provides ITP Media Group with direct access to new customers and affluent audiences across the region.
The group has also earmarked further investment to support the acquisition, including bolstering existing teams, supporting local creative economies and creating new job opportunities across editorial, digital, design and live events.
These teams will support the planned roll-out of cross-border digital media, industry events, cutting-edge gaming tournaments, brand activations and premier live sporting experiences. Through the combined group, luxury brands will have access to a streamlined cross-border platform, enabling advertising and sponsorship opportunities that connect with high-net-worth audiences across multiple markets.
ITP Media Group CEO, Ali Akawi, said: "At its core, ITP Media Group has always been about creating powerful content that connects people. As we look forward, our roadmap is focused on massive global scale. We are committed to a multi-year strategy of expansion and targeted acquisitions to build a media ecosystem capable of reaching billions worldwide. The acquisition of Heart Media Group strengthens our foundation as we scale our platforms, embrace new media technologies and bring world-class storytelling to a truly global audience."
Olivier Burlot has propelled Heart Media Group through year-on-year growth across Asia and will now join the ITP Media Group board. As part of a phased equity transition, he will continue to provide strategic licensing direction of owned and operated products.
Heart Media Group Founder, Olivier Burlot, added: “When we built Heart Media, the ambition was always to give Asia’s luxury and lifestyle audiences media truly worthy of them. Joining ITP is the natural next chapter – it takes everything we have created and gives it scale, investment and a bridge into one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury markets. I am proud of what our teams across Asia have built and genuinely excited by what they can now do with ITP’s reach behind them.”
Wilson Lim will continue, now as Managing Director of ITP Media (Singapore) & ITP Media (Malaysia) with the support of his current operational, sales and editorial teams, overseeing all executive and management duties across the Singapore and Malaysia offices.
ITP’s latest acquisition follows the recent announcement of a 10-year agreement with Time Out to operate Time Out Hong Kong and Time Out Singapore.
Since 1987, ITP Media Group has grown from a single B2B brand with five staff, to a multinational business with offices across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, serving a monthly audience of over 200 million people. With its latest acquisition, ITP Media Group now has a physical presence in 10 countries with a portfolio of 90 brands.
With the addition of Heart Media Group’s operations, ITP Media Group expands to three new international markets: Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Heart Media brands and teams will operate under the ITP Media name, with integration phased to protect editorial identity, client relationships and the trust of audiences across Asia. It builds on ITP Media Group’s existing operations in India, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, USA and Qatar.
South East Asia represents one of the fastest-growing global markets for the media and entertainment industry, expanding at 6% per year with some regional markets up to 8.4% (PwC Global E&M Outlook). ITP Media Group’s investment aligns with a growing demand amongst wealthy audiences in these regions, increasingly looking for media and luxury brands that serve their interests. Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the top global hub for cross-border wealth (BCG 2026 Global Wealth Report), while there are now more than 4,000 single-family offices across Hong Kong and Singapore, quadrupling over the past five years. Meanwhile, Malaysia is anticipated to see a 20% climb in ultra-high-net-worth individuals over the next five years (Knight Frank – The Wealth Report 2026).
The addition of Heart Media’s luxury publications directly caters to these audiences and provides ITP Media Group with direct access to new customers and affluent audiences across the region.
The group has also earmarked further investment to support the acquisition, including bolstering existing teams, supporting local creative economies and creating new job opportunities across editorial, digital, design and live events.
These teams will support the planned roll-out of cross-border digital media, industry events, cutting-edge gaming tournaments, brand activations and premier live sporting experiences. Through the combined group, luxury brands will have access to a streamlined cross-border platform, enabling advertising and sponsorship opportunities that connect with high-net-worth audiences across multiple markets.
ITP Media Group CEO, Ali Akawi, said: "At its core, ITP Media Group has always been about creating powerful content that connects people. As we look forward, our roadmap is focused on massive global scale. We are committed to a multi-year strategy of expansion and targeted acquisitions to build a media ecosystem capable of reaching billions worldwide. The acquisition of Heart Media Group strengthens our foundation as we scale our platforms, embrace new media technologies and bring world-class storytelling to a truly global audience."
Olivier Burlot has propelled Heart Media Group through year-on-year growth across Asia and will now join the ITP Media Group board. As part of a phased equity transition, he will continue to provide strategic licensing direction of owned and operated products.
Heart Media Group Founder, Olivier Burlot, added: “When we built Heart Media, the ambition was always to give Asia’s luxury and lifestyle audiences media truly worthy of them. Joining ITP is the natural next chapter – it takes everything we have created and gives it scale, investment and a bridge into one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury markets. I am proud of what our teams across Asia have built and genuinely excited by what they can now do with ITP’s reach behind them.”
Wilson Lim will continue, now as Managing Director of ITP Media (Singapore) & ITP Media (Malaysia) with the support of his current operational, sales and editorial teams, overseeing all executive and management duties across the Singapore and Malaysia offices.
ITP’s latest acquisition follows the recent announcement of a 10-year agreement with Time Out to operate Time Out Hong Kong and Time Out Singapore.
Since 1987, ITP Media Group has grown from a single B2B brand with five staff, to a multinational business with offices across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, serving a monthly audience of over 200 million people. With its latest acquisition, ITP Media Group now has a physical presence in 10 countries with a portfolio of 90 brands.
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