Endeavor, the parent company of entertainment and sports giant UFC and WWE, is up for sale. The news comes as Endeavor reported its quarterly earnings on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles-based firm, which was founded by Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel in 2009, has seen a surge in profits over the past year due to its ownership of UFC and WWE. It also owns other major entertainment properties such as IMG Models, Professional Bull Riders (PBR), Miss Universe Organization (MUO) and more.
In addition to these assets, Endeavor recently acquired artificial intelligence startup AIQ for $250 million. This move further solidified their position as an industry leader in media technology solutions.
Endeavor’s financials show that they have been performing well despite the pandemic-induced economic downturn last year. In Q4 2020 alone, revenue increased by 8% compared to 2019 while operating income rose by 11%. These results were driven largely by growth from their live events business which saw a 16% increase in revenue during this period thanks to strong demand for pay-per-view events like UFC fights and WrestleMania 36 held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay last April.
However, it appears that Endeavor is now looking to capitalize on its success with a potential sale of the company or some of its assets including UFC and WWE according to reports from Bloomberg News citing anonymous sources close to the matter. While no official announcement has been made yet regarding any potential buyers or terms of sale negotiations are said to be underway with multiple parties interested in acquiring all or part of Endeavor’s portfolio depending on how much money they can get out of it.
This news follows recent speculation about what could happen if Endeavor decided not only sell off parts but also go public through an initial public offering (IPO). Such a move would give investors access to shares in one of the most successful companies within both sports & entertainment industries today – something that could potentially generate huge returns given how popular these two sectors remain even amidst global economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19 related restrictions still being enforced around world markets today .
It remains unclear exactly who might be interested buying into either all or just some pieces from this massive conglomerate however names like Amazon , Apple , Disney , Comcast/NBCUniversal have already been mentioned as possible suitors due their deep pockets & willingness invest heavily into new ventures . With so many big players involved there’s sure plenty competition drive prices higher than expected when final bids come rolling later down line .
Regardless outcome though one thing certain: whatever happens next will surely shake things up significantly across entire landscape both professional wrestling & mixed martial arts alike . As always stay tuned here Deadline more updates soon !
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