UFC Parent Company Endeavor Set To Buy WWE

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.

A deal could be announced as soon as today. UFC and WWE are expected to form a new publicly traded company as part of the agreement, according to the people, who declined to be named due to the confidential nature of the discussions.

Endeavor is slated to own 51% of the new combat sports and entertainment company, while WWE shareholders would get 49%, according to the people. The Endeavor deal gives WWE an enterprise value of $9.3 billion, they said.

Emanuel is expected to act as chief executive of both Endeavor and the new company. 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.

The development comes during the same weekend WWE hosts its flagship live event, WrestleMania, in California. The company has spent the past several months looking for a buyer. McMahon returned to the company as chairman in January to oversee the process. Shares of WWE are up more than 33% so far this year, giving it a market value of more than $6.79 billion.

The deal will effectively end WWE's decades-old status as a family-run business. McMahon's father founded WWE in its original incarnation during the middle of the 20th century, and McMahon is the controlling shareholder in the company. McMahon bought the company from his father in 1982. Since then, the company has grown into a global phenomenon, spawing stars suck as Hulk Hogan, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dave Bautista and John Cena.

McMahon, 77, retired from the company in July following a string of revelations that he paid several women millions of dollars over the years to keep them quiet about alleged affairs and misconduct. His daughter, Stephanie McMahon, became co-CEO alongside Khan. 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. The elder McMahon recently locked in a two-year employment contract, according to a securities filing.

Khan in recent weeks has been making the media rounds to discuss the potential sale. He told CNBC's Morgan Brennan on Thursday that it's been a robust sale process, drawing many interested buyers.

WWE brings with it a robust media and live events business, along with its decades worth of intellectual property. The company generated $1.29 billion in revenue last year, driven mainly by its $1 billion media unit.

UFC has paid off for Endeavor. Last year, the MMA league helped Endeavor's sports business make $1.3 billion in revenue. Endeavor's market cap stood at about $10.53 billion as of Friday's close. The Endeavor-WWE deal values UFC at more than $12 billion.

WWE, at least at a glance, would also fit well with the cultures at Endeavor and UFC. McMahon has a brash public persona, making him an apparently good match for Emanuel and White, who are also known for their outsized personalities.

White, like McMahon, is no stranger to scandal, either. Earlier this year, video emerged showing the UFC boss slapping his wife during a public argument at a New Year's Eve party in Mexico. White apologized.

New Channel Alert: As Expected, Zee Family And Star Select Will Be Rolling Out On The Openview Ultra Platform In The Coming Days

Last month, eMedia Investments unveiled phase 1 to their unbundled pay-tv offering which would take on the likes of DStv and StarSat, Ultraview Pride. Home to the gay oriented channel, OUTtv alongside the youth oriented channel, FUSE TV.

Prior to that, eMedia Investments was said to be working on 4 TV channels of which the latter, Zee Family and Star Select where nowhere to be seen with speculation from a few Openview consumers that the channels were shelved as seen with BBC UKTV in 2022.

After a month of anticipation, eMedia Investments unveiled phase 2 to their unbundled pay-tv offering, Spice TV also known as Ultraview Indian. Just like phase 1, it only comes with two channels, Star Select and Zee Family with eMedia promising more channels overtime.

Star Select owned by Disney Star is spun off from StarPlus basically an arch nemesis featuring content ranging from movies, reality shows and drama series. Some of the content includes May I Come In Madam and Dil Se Dil Dua...Saubhagyavati Bhava?:

Zee Family owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises is spun off from Zee TV and just like Star Select an arch nemesis within the Zee TV company with a similar offering. Content highlighted includes Goan Gullies, Baal Shiv and Ghar Ek Mandir.

From what I understand Zee TV and StarPlus aren't exclusive to DStv as several pay-tv outlets already supply these channels. If I had to guess probably a similar reason to The Home Channel+. They probably want consumers to catch up and view this content firsthand.

Unlike phase 1, Spice TV is almost double the amount of Ultraview Pride which is a monthly rate of R120. Openview consumers will wonder why they're paying more for this bouquet if they're getting the same amount of channels as seen with phase 1.

Spice TV launches April 6 at 6:30pm with current Openview consumers getting a 3 day free trial.

More Entertainment For DStv Customers??? As MultiChoice Adds ESPN 2 To DStv Compact With Ignition And Possible Africa Magic Epic On DStv Access

In February 2023, MultiChoice announced a price increase that came to affect by the end of March. It is a yearly tradition and honestly not a lot of people are shocked by this just disappointed. Unlike most years, the pay-tv company bears gifts for selected DStv customers.

ESPN 2, the non-football channel operated in a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation is home to motor-racing, rugby league, ice hockey, basketball, baseball as well as action sports such as live boxing and a range of magazine shows.

Available to DStv Premium and Compact+ on channel 219 was made available to Compact.

Ignition, owned by Arena Holdings is SA’s only TV channel dedicated to motoring. It has a strong local flavour featuring car reviews, spinning, tuning, bikes and kasi car culture, blended with the best international supercar and adrenalin-pumping content.

Available to DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact and Family was made available to Access.

Awaiting confirmation would be Africa Magic Epic, owned by M-Net a movie channel showcasing the best of West African particularly Nigeria and Ghana. It is currently seen on DStv Premium, Compact+ and Compact with sites listing it under Family and Access.

In other developments, SuperSport Motorsport was currently running an open window to Compact+ customers with Access customers in the rest of Africa getting access to WWE Channel for the duration of WrestleMania.

Could Cartoon Network Be The Future Of Cartoonito USA?

During the year, Warner Bros. Discovery was phasing out a lot of Boomerang feeds for Cartoonito which retained shows like Masha And The Bear and Grizzy And The Lemmings while the latter Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes went to Cartoon Network.

Since news of its premise came out, Warner Bros. Discovery faced heavy criticism for removing criticism for removing the Mr. Bean channel for a brand that aligned its audience to competitors such as CBeebies, Nick Jr. and Disney Junior.

Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery in the EMEA region managed to build a superior intellect than the one read on tabloids which not only offered preschool shows such as Interstellar Ella and Bugs Bunny Builders but family with Looney Tunes Cartoons and Mr Bean.

After looking at Cartoonito USA and some other feeds, I feel the problem with the brand is not solely on the fact that less people are viewing or its anti Boomerang but the fact that Cartoonito doesn't have content to cater to adults or as seen in Africa, families.

Cartoon Network is a channel that caters to kids and teens with the content has been successful to a point where even adults enjoy the offering. Cartoonito as seen in some countries sets itself out to be another Disney Junior but that doesn't have to be the case.

Cartoonito USA is struggling at the moment that I wouldn't be shocked if it got discontinued but considering the success of Batwheels on HBO Max and international perhaps a potential merger with Cartoon Network would do them good.

We have originals such as Jessica's Big Little World, Tom And Jerry Time and Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends coming in future to Cartoonito and honestly I don't think it would be a good idea having these shows crammed in a 2 hour timeslot.

A merger would help give these shows more exposure and reposition Cartoon Network into a brand for preschoolers and older children. Cartoon Network doesn't need to air CoComelon or Thomas And Friends but focus on the originals in the previous paragraph.

I don't think it would be wise to involve Boomerang as the brand is more retro and 2015 was the year they were meant to rectify that as seen in parts of the world but they missed that mark and adding those changes now would just push consumers away.

Cartoonito could be used in the same manner as Boomerang - a mascot. A brand that distributes a selected number of preschool content and as seen in EMEA the best of Boomerang with shows like Zig & Sharko, Looney Tunes Cartoons and Mr. Bean.

What Does Unicorn Warriors Eternal And My Adventures Of Superman Removal On Cartoon Network Say About The Network?

During the week, Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled Unicorn Warriors Eternal and My Adventures Of Superman. Initially slated for Cartoon Network years prior with silence regarding the fate of these shows following the reconstruction of the company.

It was announced that these series will fold under Adult Swim bringing an end to plot driven animation on Cartoon Network as Batman: Caped Crusader another show also anticipated for the channel at one point was picked up by Amazon Prime Video for 2 seasons.

Cartoon Network has been going through an uphill battle compared to international counterparts as they've been losing consumers on a yearly basis with Teen Titans GO! taking over most of the channel and basically being branded off as the SpongeBob of the network.

Internationally, Warner Bros. Discovery was able to cover up those bruises as they've been licensing content from various studios as a means to make up the dismal original offering. Some of the shows include Bionic Max, Big Blue, Ninjago and Jade Armor.

If you take into account the following shows I just mentioned you'd notice that none of these are how some parents would describe Regular Show vulgar or inappropriate for children's television. I mean Infinity Train hasn't been seen on most Cartoon Network feeds.

As mentioned already, Unicorn Warriors Eternal and My Adventures With Superman aren't rolling out under Cartoon Network but Adult Swim. It got me thinking what if Warner Bros. Discovery is restructuring these brands to meet the demand for modern audiences.

Instead of Cartoon Network pulling off more shows like Regular Show or Adventure Time. It will however be similar to most international feeds and offer kid oriented programming without the adult humour, violent scenes or as seen this week edgy storylines.

I mean we got shows like Invincible Fight Girl and the second reboot to The Powerpuff Girls which will likely be action comedic as Teen Titans GO! and Tiny Toons Looniversity which like Craig Of The Creek will have kids going on escapades basically being kids.