DOHA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's Al Jazeera TV has bought six sports channels from Saudi Arabia's Arab Radio and Television (ART)network to strengthen its muscle in sports broadcasting, the Qatar News Agency reported Friday.

    The report said the deal worth more than 1 billion U.S. dollars and is expected to be announced formally later.

    The latest development will enable the Doha-based network to become the leading sports broadcaster in the Middle East with exclusive rights to top sporting events, the Gult Times said.

    Al Jazeera currently holds the exclusive rights in the region for major sports events, such as the Italian Serie A, the UEFA Champions League and the French Open.

    Founded in 1996, Al Jazeera is the largest Arabic news channel and fastest growing network in the Middle East, offering round-the-clock news coverage from around the world.

    The network caught worldwide attention after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, when video tapes released by al-Qaida were aired on its channels.

    It added a 24-hour English-language channel to its network in 2006.