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☆ Opinion: These three Oscar-nominated films couldn’t be more different. Together, they represent the change we need
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Opinion Noah Berlatsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

All three films question male conventions and genres in ways that show exactly why we need more films by, and more nominations for, women-directed films. Les Films PelléasTriet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” is about a German novelist, Sandra (Sandra Hüller), accused of murdering her husband Samuel (Samuel Theis). Director Celine Song talks to lead actress Greta Lee on the set of "Past Lives." That doesn’t mean that women directors are less interesting or less original than male directors. Triet, Song and Gerwig have proved that women directors are uniquely positioned to question and rethink old genres, old stories and old ideas.

Persons: Noah Berlatsky, — Justine Triet’s “, Celine Song’s “, Greta Gerwig’s “, ” —, Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky, it’s, Randa Haines, ”, —, Sandra Hüller, Justine Triet's, Pelléas, Sandra, Samuel, Samuel Theis, Billy Wilder’s, David Fincher’s, Triet, Nora Moon, Greta Lee, Hae Sung, Teo Yoo, Nora, Arthur, John Magaro, Celine Song, doesn’t, Gerwig, “ Barbie, “ Barbie ”, Barbie, Ken, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Jaap Buitendijk, Barbie ”, Bradley Cooper’s, Maestro ”, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer, clichés, Alexander Payne’s “, Kelly Reichardt’s, Nida Organizations: CNN, USC, Initiative, Academy, New York Times, Everett, Warner Bros ., Warner Bros, Entertainment, ” Locations: Chicago, German, South Korea

☆ George Michael commemorated with coins from UK’s Royal Mint
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Slicked-back hair, a leather jacket, a cross dangling from his ear and his trademark aviator sunglasses. This is how many of George Michael’s fans remember the late, great singer—and his image has now been immortalized just so on a new collectible coin issued by Britain’s Royal Mint. The design of the coin pays tribute to the late singer’s second solo hit single, “Faith,” according to the Royal Mint. In a statement published online, the mint, which is the official producer of Britain’s coins, said the George Michael coin is the latest addition to its Music Legends series. Welcoming the coins’ creation, a statement from George Michael Entertainment included in the media release said: “On behalf of George Michael, we are deeply honored that the Royal Mint is paying tribute to him by creating a series of beautifully crafted coins.

Persons: London CNN —, George Michael’s, —, George Michael, David Bowie, Elton John, Queen, Sandra Deiana, ”, Deiana, “, Michael, Jesus, Andrew Ridgley, Michael’s, Aretha Franklin, — “, Wham’s Organizations: London CNN, Britain’s Royal Mint, Royal Mint Visitors, Royal Mint, George Michael Entertainment Locations: British, Italian

☆ Apple just pulled this piracy app from the App Store
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewApple appears to have removed Kimi, a piracy app that once featured a library of free films and shows to stream, from its iOS app store, Wired reported earlier this week. The app also reportedly garnered over 100 user reviews in the App Store. The app store, Wired observed, listed Kimi's only developer as "Marcus Evan," which could be the creator's fake name. "Make sure your app only includes content that you created or that you have a license to use," the tech giant's app store guidelines say. AdvertisementThis isn't the first time Apple pulled a piracy app.

Persons: —, Marcus Evan, you've, Aaron Mok Organizations: Service, Wired, Business, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Apple, Trump Locations: amok@insider.com

☆ Allegiant Stadium: Everything to know about Las Vegas’ state-of-the-art ‘Death Star’ hosting Super Bowl LVIII
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The game will be played in Las Vegas at the Raiders’ state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium, aka the “Death Star,” the first time the venue – and Nevada – has hosted the NFL’s championship game. A new homeOpened in 2020, Allegiant Stadium was part of a monumental project spearheaded by Raiders owner Mark Davis. A general view of the playing field at Allegiant Stadium. Despite not really looking anything like the doomed Death Star – a giant planet-destroying space station that is twice blown up in the original Star Wars trilogy – the name has stuck. However, back in 2020, Davis was confident his Death Star would be more successful than its ill-fated namesake.

Persons: Mark Davis, Al Davis, Mark Davis ’, David Becker, ” Mark Davis, Davis, ”, Jon Gruden, “, it’s, John Madden, Carol Davis – Al Davis ’, Mark – Organizations: CNN, NFL, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Raiders, Allegiant, Silver State, Las, Sports, Las Vegas, Eiffel, Getty, Wars, ESPN, Former Raiders, Oakland Coliseum Locations: Las Vegas, Nevada, Oakland , California, Southern Nevada, Los Angeles, of

☆ 5 reasons to be unapologetically thrilled about this year’s Oscar nominations
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were revealed last week and – as they so often do – caused quite a stir. Co-written and directed by Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall” is nominated for five Oscars this year in total, including for best original screenplay and best picture. That gives Williams more Academy Award nominations than any other living person. According to the Academy, the late Walt Disney holds the overall record of career nominations, with a grand total of 59. Still, it seemed to be a role destined for Brooks, who received a Tony Award nomination in 2016 for playing the same character in the Broadway revival of the musical.

Persons: Barbie’s, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, there’s, we’re, Justine Triet, Palme, Sarah Meyssonnier, Triet, Sandra Hüller, Barbie ”, Colman Domingo, Bayard Rustin, Rustin, David Lee, Steven Spielberg’s “, ” Domingo, “ Rustin, ”, Domingo, – Ian McKellen, Jodie Foster, Bonnie Stoll, Anthony Allen Ramos, ” Ramos, ” Cord Jefferson, Cord Jefferson, Claire Folger, Jeffrey Wright, Cord Jefferson’s, Jefferson, he’s, Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, ’ ”, Percival Everett, Wright, Sterling K, Brown, John Williams, Ray Dolby, Michael Kovac, “ Indiana Jones, ” Williams, Oscar, Williams, Walt Disney, Danielle Brooks, Eli Ade ´, ” Brooks, Oprah Winfrey, Spielberg, Alice Walker, Brooks, “, Corey Hawkins, Harpo Organizations: CNN, Cannes Film, Reuters, “, Netflix, Orion, Jefferson, Hollywood & Highland Center, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy, Warner Bros, Entertainment Inc, Broadway, Juilliard Locations: Cannes, France, German, Steven Spielberg’s “ Lincoln, “ Nyad, Hollywood, Sofia, New York City

WWE's weekly television show “Raw” will move to Netflix next year as part of a major streaming deal. “Raw,” which debuted in 1993, has produced 1,600 episodes to date and features wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins and Rhea Ripley. “We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in a prepared statement. WWE, which is part of TKO Group Holdings Inc., said Tuesday that “Raw” will air on Netflix starting in January 2025. This will be the first time that WWE will air on the network in prime time.

Persons: “, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Bela Bajaria, Mark Shapiro, ”, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Netflix, USA Network, WWE, Punk, Holdings Inc, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc, NBCUniversal, NBC Locations: U.S, Canada, America, Fox

“The Rock” is a name is derived from Johnson's father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, who was the first Black champion in WWE history (alongside partner Tony Atlas), according the WWE. “I am thrilled to partner with Dwayne and welcome his immense talent to TKO’s Board," TKO CEO Ariel Emanuel said in a prepared statement. He has recently appeared on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.'s “Smackdown” and “Raw” television programs, with rumors swirling that he may compete at this year's WrestleMania. "I’ve been there, I’m still there and this is for them.”TKO also announced Tuesday that Brad Keywell will become a board member. The additions of Johnson and Keywell will increase TKO's board from 11 to 13 members.

Persons: Dwayne Johnson, Johnson, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas, “, Dwayne, Ariel Emanuel, ” Johnson, I’ve, I’m, ” TKO, Brad Keywell, Keywell Organizations: WWE, UFC, WWE Hall of Famer, Seven Bucks, Energy, United Football League, TKO’s Board, Holdings Inc, Wrestling Entertainment Inc, Echo Global Logistics

☆ These high beta stocks will lead the way if the year-end comeback continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Essentially, if the broad market index rises by 1%, the following high beta stocks could jump by 1.5% or more. The company has a beta value of 1.7 and is scheduled to report earnings on Tuesday. Essentially, if the broad market index rises by 1%, the following high beta stocks could jump by 1.5% or more. Goldman Sachs recently recommended the pullback in Devon Energy shares as a buying opportunity, citing the company's strong balance sheet as a factor. The company has a beta value of 1.7 and is scheduled to report earnings on Tuesday.

Persons: Stocks, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Bing Guan Organizations: CNBC Pro, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, CNBC, APA Corp, APA, Devon Energy, Marathon, Marathon Oil, Nvidia, UBS, Qs, Warner Bros Discovery, Angeles Refinery, Reuters, Beta, APA APA Corp, Entertainment, Devon Energy Corp, Oil Corp, Targa Resources Corp, MGM MGM Resorts, HAL Halliburton, McMoRan, Aptiv, WYNN Wynn Resorts, Body, Semiconductor Corp, NVIDIA Corp, Zebra Technologies, Albemarle, Alaska Air Group Locations: Angeles, Carson , California, Freeport

☆ Vince McMahon plans to sell a big chunk of his shares in WWE parent TKO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Mike Calia | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. Chairman Vince McMahon appears in the ring during the WWE Monday Night Raw show at the Thomas & Mack Center August 24, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vince McMahon plans to sell a substantial chunk of his stake in TKO , the parent company of WWE, the wrestling empire founded by his father, TKO said in a release ThursdayTKO's stock fell 5% after the closing bell Thursday. McMahon intends to sell 8.4 million of his shares, worth about $700 million. He owned more than 28 million shares as of August, according to a regulatory filing. The company said it and several executives are looking to buy shares from McMahon.

Persons: Vince McMahon, TKO, McMahon, honcho, Dwayne, Johnson, John Cena, Ari Emanuel, hasn't Organizations: Entertainment Inc, WWE, Thomas &, Forbes, UFC, Endeavor Group, Endeavor, Endeavor's Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, McMahon, Silver

☆ Say goodbye to retirement? A 'soft saving' trend is emerging among young people
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Quek Jie Ann | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

But a "soft saving" trend is emerging among younger workers, challenging the traditional way of thinking. Soft saving refers to putting less money into the future, and using more of it for the present. "Soft saving is the soft life's answer to finances," said the report. In addition, Americans are "re-focused" on post-pandemic travel, a possible reason why there is a decrease in personal saving rates, said Fidelity's Viktorin. ""Soft saving is the soft life's answer to finances."

Persons: Gen, Athima, —, Ryan Viktorin, Gen Z's —, Liz Koehler, Koehler, Viktorin, Andy Reed, X, Boomers, Z's, Z, Gen Z, Fidelity's Organizations: Intuit, Fidelity Investments, BlackRock's, Wealth Advisory, CNBC, U.S . Bureau, Trading Economics, Blackrock, Vanguard, Transamerican Center, Retirement Studies, Retirement

The maker of Tomb Raider video games, whose shares are traded in Stockholm, is working with Goldman Sachs and Aream & Co to explore a sale, the people said. Embracer is weighing selling the unit, which is known for first-person shooter game Borderlands, after receiving interest from third parties, two of the people said. Officials from Embracer and Goldman Sachs declined to comment. ⁠Embracer shares turned positive and spiked as much as 5% higher following the news. Embracer, majority owned by founder Wingefors, purchased Gearbox in February 2021 in a deal that valued the business at up to $1.4 billion at the time.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Aream, ⁠ Embracer, Embracer, Lars Wingefors, Wingefors, Amy, Jo Crowley, Anousha Sakoui, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S, Entertainment, Reuters, Raider, Aream, Embracer, Thomson Locations: Stockholm

☆ WWE boss Vince McMahon hit with federal grand jury subpoena and search warrant, company reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. Chairman Vince McMahon appears in the ring during the WWE Monday Night Raw show at the Thomas & Mack Center August 24, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on World Wrestling Entertainment boss Vince McMahon last month and served him with a federal grand jury subpoena, the company disclosed Wednesday. Reached for comment Wednesday, the company said they believe the subpoena and search warrant are "a continuation of the investigation that commenced last summer. WWE and Endeavor both expect the deal to close in the second half of this year, WWE said Wednesday. The search warrant and subpoena on July 17 came a year after news first broke that federal prosecutors and the SEC were investigating WWE and McMahon over his payments to women.

Persons: Vince McMahon, McMahon, McMahon's Organizations: Entertainment Inc, WWE, Thomas &, World Wrestling Entertainment, Securities and Exchange Commission, CNBC, UFC, Endeavor Group, Endeavor, SEC Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada

Companies Live Nation Entertainment Inc FollowJuly 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice could file an antitrust lawsuit against concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment (LYV.N) and its unit Ticketmaster by the end of the year, Politico reported on Friday, citing three people with knowledge of the matter. Shares of Live Nation dropped 5% in extended trading on Friday. The potential lawsuit could claim that the entertainment giant is abusing its power over the live music industry, Politico reported, adding that the timing of the case was not firm and the DOJ could decide to drop it. Live Nation and the DOJ did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Reporting by Urvi Dugar and Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Taylor Swift's, Urvi Dugar, Yuvraj Malik, Devika Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Entertainment, Ticketmaster, Politico, DOJ, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ It's not just 'Barbie' — as Hollywood goes through upheaval, brands from Nike to John Deere are becoming the new financiers of film and TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

As studios cut spending and strikes shut down production, Hollywood can take some solace — brands are coming to the rescue. Brand Storytelling is an organization that's held a festival for brand content alongside the Sundance Film Festival for the past seven years. Brand film submissions have almost tripled to 160 in the past three years, according to Rick Parkhill, director and co-founder of Brand Storytelling. "Film directors need the work," said Marcus Peterzell, who left ad giant Omnicom to found Passion Point Collective, a brand film studio, in 2019. He's since made some 36 film projects for brands.

Persons: Greta Gerwig, Kyra Sedgwick, John Deere, Kimberly Doebereiner, Chris Paul, Mattel's Robbie Brenner, There's, Jill Lubochinski, Holly Fraser, WePresent, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Reese Witherspoon's, Michael Sugar's Sugar23, we've, Marc Gilbar, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Gilbar, that's, Rick Parkhill, Riz Ahmed, WeTransfer, Vicky Grout, Parkill, Saint Laurent, Pedro Almodóvar, David Cronenberg, They're, Marcus Peterzell, Peterzell Organizations: Hollywood, Mattel, Nike, HBO, Procter & Gamble, Tide, Gillette, G Studios, Warner Bros, Discovery, PepsiCo, REI, Dallas Buyers, Sundance, Brand, Brands Locations: —, HBO's, Hollywood

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports/File PhotoJune 16 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge rejected World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE.N) effort to dismiss a smaller rival's antitrust lawsuit that accused it of monopolizing the market for professional wrestling media rights. In a decision on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California, said MLW Media had presented enough "circumstantial" evidence that WWE uses its dominance to keep rivals from accessing various distributors and arenas. MLW said Stamford, Connecticut-based WWE commands about 92% of revenue from U.S. media rights for pro wrestling, versus 6% for All Elite Wrestling and less than 2% for everyone else. MLW sufficiently alleged that WWE's activities "had a substantial effect in foreclosing competitors from the professional wrestling media rights market," Davila wrote. The case is MLW Media LLC v World Wrestling Entertainment Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Cody Rhodes, Joe Camporeale, Edward Davila, MLW, Davila, Marc Kasowitz, Jonathan Stempel Organizations: Wrestling, District, MLW Media, WWE, Elite Wrestling, Fox, Amazon.com, CBS, Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, Wrestling Entertainment Inc, Court, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: Inglewood , CA, USA, SoFi, U.S, San Jose , California, Stamford , Connecticut, , New York, Northern District, Northern District of California, New York

☆ Pat Robertson, the televangelist who helped turn Christianity into a political force, is dead at 93
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Ben Finley | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Robertson was a televangelist who helped bring Christianity to the center of the Republican Party. Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson was born March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, to Absalom Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill Robertson. Robertson was interested in politics until he found religion, Dede Robertson told the AP in 1987. Pat Robertson listens as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. But after President Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, Robertson said Trump was living in an "alternate reality" and should "move on," news outlets reported.

Persons: Pat Robertson, Robertson, —, — Pat Robertson, Steve Helber, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Jeffrey K, Hadden, ″, ″ Robertson, Bush, — Robertson, John C, Green, Marion Gordon, Pat, Absalom Willis Robertson, Gladys Churchill Robertson, Pam MacDonald, Adelia, Dede, Elmer, Dede Robertson, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, God, George W, Hugo Chavez, misspoke, Bill Clinton, Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Joe Biden, Robertson's, Gordon, Rupert Murdoch's Organizations: Christian Broadcasting Network, Republican Party, Service, Christian Coalition, Regent University, American Center for Law, Justice, University of Virginia, Associated Press, ″, Republican, House, The University of Akron, U.S, Representative, Washington, Lee University, 1st Marine Division, Yale University Law School, Conservative, Conference, Yale, Southern Baptist, Catholic, AP, New York Theological Seminary, CBN, University of Akron, White, Trump, International, Entertainment Inc, The, Rupert, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp Locations: Va, Virginia, America, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake , Virginia, Iowa, George H.W ., U.S, Chesapeake, Lexington , Virginia, Korea, Houston, Southern, New York, Bedford, Stuyvesant, Ohio, New, Portsmouth , Va, Virginia Beach , Virginia, Pennsylvania, Orlando , Florida, Kenya, IFE

World Wrestling Entertainment and Endeavor's UFC announced last month they would merge later this year. The new operation will be called TKO Group Holdings, a spokesperson for Endeavor confirmed Tuesday. Emanuel has said he intends to run "the same playbook" with WWE that Endeavor did with UFC, whose revenue surged 20% from 2021 to 2022. UFC and WWE will retain their respective names as part of TKO Group. "This is going to be UFC 2.0," Emanuel said in an interview that aired last month on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."

May 3 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) has named Kim Posnett as the head of its global technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) investment banking group, according to an internal company memo. Posnett, who is currently the co-head of the One Goldman Sachs initiative at the bank, will continue to hold her existing responsibilities. The One Goldman Sachs initiative aims to integrate the bank's dealings with clients across teams. Posnett, who has also served as the global head of investment banking services at Goldman, is one of the few executives who spoke at the bank's investor day in February alongside its chief executive and finance head. In a separate memo sent out by Goldman's heads of global banking & markets, Ashok Varadhan, Dan Dees and Jim Esposito, Goldman also named Aasem Khalil as the new global head of its Investment Banking Services division.

☆ Wall St Week Ahead Consumer stocks' earnings may offer clues on U.S. economy’s resilience
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Companies in the consumer discretionary spending sector reporting next week include Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) and AutoNation Inc (AN.N). Reuters GraphicsGrowing recession fears over the last year have already prompted many consumer discretionary companies to cut costs to boost margins, which may lead to positive earnings surprises this quarter, Melson said. Part of that expected growth comes from a job market that has remained robust, helping buoy consumer spending, said Jamie Cox, managing partner for Harris Financial Group. Meanwhile, U.S. consumer sentiment inched up in April, but households expected inflation to rise over the next 12 months. Sandy Villere, a portfolio manager at Villere & Co, has winnowed his holdings of consumer discretionary stocks in anticipation of a recession later this year.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley dismissed the plaintiffs' first complaint in March after finding it failed to present enough information to back claims the acquisition would harm industry competition. The judge said at the time the plaintiffs could refile a new suit, which challenges the largest-ever video game industry deal. Lawyers for Microsoft said in a court filing last week that the gamers' original case "relied largely on flawed legal arguments based on outdated Supreme Court cases." The plaintiffs' lawyers have served subpoenas on companies including Activision and rivals including Nintendo of America Inc and Sony. The case is Demartini v. Microsoft, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 3:22-cv-08991-JSC.

The CWA in a statement said Activision's conduct showed a clear pattern of disregard for workers' legal rights. "In spite of Activision Blizzard's anti-union efforts, workers continue to organize, speak out about their working conditions and win union campaigns," the union said. Activision has said its social media policy is lawful and does not bar employees from exercising their rights under U.S. labor law. Small groups of workers at Activision subsidiaries in New York and Wisconsin have voted to join the CWA in recent months. Boston-based employees of Activision unit Proletariat in January withdrew a petition to have an election.

☆ WWE to Combine With UFC Parent Endeavor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The deal to combine the companies is expected to close in the second half of 2023. World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. has reached a deal to combine with Endeavor Group Holdings Inc., the owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The two companies said Monday that Endeavor will hold a 51% controlling interest in their newly formed, publicly traded entity, with WWE owning the remaining 49%.

☆ WWE Nears Sale to UFC’s Endeavor Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lauren Thomas | Joe Flint | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The deal is expected to be announced Monday. World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. is nearing a deal to be sold to Endeavor Group Holdings Inc., which owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship, according to people familiar with the matter. As part of the deal, Endeavor’s UFC business and WWE will form a separate publicly traded entity, the people said, in which Endeavor shareholders would hold 51% and WWE shareholders would retain 49%.

Shares of WWE fell in premarket trading, while Endeavor shares rose. Ari Emanuel will act as chief executive of both Endeavor and the new company, the companies said. McMahon, likewise, will be executive chairman, while Endeavor President and COO Mark Shapiro will also work in the same roles at the new company. Dana White will remain as president of UFC, and WWE CEO Nick Khan will stay on as president of the wrestling business. Stefanie Keenan | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesThe announcement confirmed an earlier CNBC report.

April 3 (Reuters) - World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (WWE.N) will combine with Endeavor Group-owned (EDR.N) mixed martial arts franchise UFC to form a new, publicly listed entertainment giant valued at about $21 billion, the companies said on Monday. Hollywood power broker and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel will take the helm at the merged entity. In January, WWE said it would explore strategic options that could include a sale, shortly after long-time CEO McMahon's return to the company. McMahon had retired in July last year as the company's CEO and chair, following an investigation into his alleged misconduct. Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon, who single-handedly managed the mantle when her father exited, resigned a week after he returned in January.

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