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☆ Ari Emanuel's Endeavor says it will explore strategic alternatives, sending stock higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Mike Calia | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Endeavor Group Holdings , the talent agency and sports company run by Ari Emanuel, said Wednesday it would start exploring strategic alternatives for the company, which could mean a potential sale. The move comes weeks after French billionaire Francois-Henry Pinault agreed to buy a majority stake in Endeavor rival Creative Artists Agency. Endeavor's market value, likewise, was $7.79 billion as of Wednesday's market close, having declined 21% so far this year. Notably, Endeavor said it wouldn't consider ditching its interest in TKO Group Holdings , the newly formed combat sports company that includes Vince McMahon's WWE and Dana White's UFC. Endeavor owns 51% of TKO, which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange last month.

Persons: Ari Emanuel, Mark Bradford, George Lucas, Gucci, Emanuel, Francois, Henry Pinault, Vince McMahon's, Dana White's, – CNBC's Alex Sherman Organizations: Endeavor Group Holdings, Endeavor, Creative Artists Agency, Holdings, Vince McMahon's WWE, Dana White's UFC, New York Stock Exchange Locations: LACMA, Los Angeles , California

☆ Middle Eastern investors are pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment — here are the 9 most active players and their key leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, WME, Jimmy Finkelstein's, Abu Dhabi's, It's, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Sam Barnett, Peter Smith —, Christina Wayne, SRMG, Mohammed bin Salman, Alrashid, Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, Sharon Stone, Bruno Mars, Luca Guadanigno, Vince McMahon's, Turki Al, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Dayel, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, Peter Chernin, Nasser Al, Germain, BeIN, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad, Khalifa Al, Vincent, Asghar Farhadi's Oscar, Nart Bouran, JAF, Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, it's, Semafor, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber Organizations: United, Sovereign, Saudi, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Endeavor, UFC, IMI, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, English football, PGA, MBC, Shahid, Netflix, Vice Media, Variety, MBC Group's, Antenna Group, Cineflex Studios, NBCUniversal International, Amazon, AMC, Saudi Research, Media, Publicly, Red Sea, Cannes, Penske Media Corporation, Bloomberg Media, Vince McMahon's WWE, country's General Entertainment Authority, Development, Cultural Development Fund, George Washington University, American University . Qatar Qatar Investment, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence, BeIN Media, Paris Saint, Miramax, Paramount, Doha Film, Doha Film Institute, H.E, Hollywood Reporter, United Arab Emirates Abu, Investment Authority, UAE, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Hollywood, Dubai Studio, Dubai Media City, National Geographic, BBC News, International Media Investments International Media Investments, National, CNN, Sky News Arabia, Reuters, JAF Communications, Grid, RedBird Capital Partners, Punchbowl News, New York Times, Manchester City, The, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, East, North Africa, Al Arabiya, Netherlands, Greece, Dubai, Jeddah, SRMG, Riyadh, Doha, Europe, Americas, ViacomCBS, Qatari, Thani, Abu Dhabi

☆ Keith Meister’s Corvex Management bets on Amazon, slashes other big tech holdings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Keith Meister's Corvex Management scooped up shares of Amazon during the first quarter, while slashing its stakes in technology giants Alphabet and Microsoft . Meister also bought shares of Endeavor Group , a position worth $44.9 million at the end of the first quarter. Other new bets from Corvex included a $22.7 million position in Uber Technologies and a stake in Algonquin Power . Prior to launching Corvex, Meister worked closely with legendary activist investor Carl Icahn. At the end of the first quarter, Corvex managed about $2.9 billion in regulatory assets, according to securities filings.

☆ WWE taps Fanatics to sell merchandise at live events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That means Fanatics will now operate all of the on-site retail at the WWE's more than 300 events throughout the year, including its premier live events like WrestleMania and the Royale Rumble. Fanatics became WWE's global e-commerce partner in 2022, a deal that later grew to include licensed merchandise, memorabilia, trading cards and collectibles. WWE has seen its live-event merchandise business grow as the company has returned to a fuller slate of events and shows as the pandemic has waned. In 2022, WWE reported that it had $23.8 million in venue merchandise revenue across 231 live events in 2022, up from $10.1 million the previous year when the company only had 101 live events. Fanatics' existing relationships across sports could also further benefit WWE, Varga said.

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.

☆ Saudi money is flowing to US media and entertainment, from Live Nation to LIV Golf, 5 years after Jamal Khashoggi's murder: 'The ice has thawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Insider identified some key people connecting Middle East investors with American companies. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Vince McMahon's WWE has a long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a major live WWE event there slated for May. Vince McMahon's WWE was one of the first US companies to create unique events in Saudi Arabia.

☆ Endeavor to merge with WWE for a $21 billion dollar deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEndeavor to merge with WWE for a $21 billion dollar dealVince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment has agreed to merge with UFC to form a new publicly traded company controlled by Endeavor Group , the companies announced Monday morning.

☆ 9 Middle Eastern funds and investors pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Governments and investors in the Middle East are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

Endeavor and WWE did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday. The deal could be announced as early as this week, the sources said. Endeavor shareholders will own 51% of the combined company, while WWE shareholders would get 49%, the sources said. Endeavor is led by Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel, who earlier this month declined to answer questions about a possible deal. In January, WWE said it would explore strategic options that could include a sale, shortly after Vince McMahon's return to the company.

☆ WWE near deal to be sold to UFC parent Endeavor, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment is in advanced talks to be sold to Ari Emanuel's Endeavor Group , the parent company of UFC, according to people familiar with the matter. McMahon, likewise, is expected to be executive chairman, while Endeavor President Mark Shapiro will also work in the same role at the new company. Dana White will remain as president of UFC, while WWE CEO Nick Khan will serve as president of the wrestling business. Paul Levesque, who's both Stephanie McMahon's husband and the wrestler known as Triple H, took over creative duties from Vince McMahon. When Vince McMahon came back in January, Stephanie McMahon stepped down and Khan fully assumed the CEO role.

☆ Vince McMahon locks in two-year contract as WWE looks for buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. Chairman Vince McMahon is introduced during the WWE Monday Night Raw show at the Thomas & Mack Center August 24, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vince McMahon has pinned down a two-year employment contract at World Wrestling Entertainment . The WWE chairman's agreement dates back to Jan. 9, when he returned to the company, according to a securities filing. McMahon returned to WWE's board in January help with the sale negotiations. At the time, his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, had taken over as co-CEO of WWE, a family business for the McMahons.

☆ Saudi money is pouring into Hollywood and media, 5 years after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Here's who's cashing in and how.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Even those media players that are comfortable with invetment from the Middle East may not find funds flowing, one Hollywood veteran said. A major live WWE event in Saudi Arabia is slated for May. Of the growing ties between US entertainment and media and Middle East investors, this person added, "Presumably media organizations got into this to help society make better decisions."

☆ Wolfe Research says WWE shares could rally 30% following Vince McMahon's return
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wolfe Research reiterated WWE as outperform, noting that the return of Vince McMahon could jolt the company's TV rights renewal process. Earlier, Wolfe Research published a note downgrading WWE shares in error. Stephanie McMahon resigned earlier this month from her role as co-CEO and chairwoman following the unanimous election of her father, Vince, as company's executive chairman. "We think there's more game theory to Vince's return than what meets the eye," Supino said in the correct note to clients. Supino said Vince's return could give a "shot in the arm" to the 2025 TV rights renewal process and his willingness to sell could drive up prices for the rights.

☆ Vince McMahon's daughter, Stephanie McMahon, resigned as WWE co-CEO after father's return to the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

WWE announced on Tuesday that Stephanie McMahon had resigned from her role as co-CEO. Her father, Vince McMahon, returned to the board last week, less than six months after retiring. Vince McMahon stepped away last year amid sexual misconduct allegations against him. WWE announced on Tuesday that Stephanie McMahon, Vince's daughter, resigned from her role as co-CEO and chairwoman. Last year, the board began investigating millions of dollars McMahon had paid several women who had made misconduct allegations against him.

☆ WWE confirms former chief Vince McMahon's return to board
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - Vince McMahon, the former chief of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE.N), is returning to the board of the company that he transformed from a regional player in a highly fragmented industry of the 1980s to a global giant, WWE said on Friday. Shares of the entertainment firm rose about 16%, as WWE also said that it would explore strategic alternatives confirming an earlier statement by McMahon. McMahon, 77, said on Thursday that he expects to assume the role of executive chairman at WWE, to involve himself in the company's media rights negotiation process. The company did not state what position Vince McMahon would hold at the board. McMahon retired in July last year as the company's CEO and chairman, following an investigation into his alleged misconduct.

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