UFC’s parent company is entering a whole new arena: the public market.
Endeavor is planning to raise around $511.2 million in an IPO at a valuation of about $10 billion.
The company will also bring in around $1.7 billion through a private sale to Tencent, Elliott Management, Silver Lake, and Third Point, among other investors. Around a quarter of that sum — $437 million — will be used to purchase the 49% of UFC it does not currently own.
Endeavor is a unique conglomeration of sports, media, and agency properties. It also owns sports agency IMG, Euroleague basketball, the Miss Universe Pageant, the Miami Open, and numerous other events and competitions in golf, racing, volleyball, and more.
The company has represented many of the world’s top tennis players, including Roger Federer, Naomi Osaka, and Serena Williams, as well as Hollywood stars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The sports and media giant initially planned to go public in September 2019 but got cold feet a day before its public listing, citing unfavorable market conditions. A year-and-a-half later, Endeavor is seeking a valuation 25% higher than the $8 billion it sought in 2019.
That timing was prescient, given that the pandemic shut down virtually every sport six months later, but UFC returned to action in May 2020.
