UFC® sells for $4 Billion! Gives Official Statement
Wow! Did that just happen?! UFC® gets acquired by WME|IMG for $4 Billion! This means a lot of things for the UFC® moving forward. Put your trays in the upright position folks, this may be a bumpy ride.
source | UFC®.com
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (July 11, 2016) – WME | IMG today announced the acquisition of UFC, the world’s premier professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization.
A global leader in entertainment and sports with a portfolio of more than 800 owned, operated and/or commercially represented events, WME | IMG will also serve as UFC’s operating partner. WME | IMG, which has a proven track record of building leading sports brands, will focus on accelerating the sport’s popularity and presence around the world. Silver Lake Partners and KKR will join WME | IMG as new strategic investors, along with MSD Capital, L.P. and MSD Partners, L.P. which will provide preferred equity financing.
“We’ve been fortunate over the years to represent UFC and a number of its remarkable athletes,” said WME | IMG Co-CEOs Ariel Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell. “It’s been exciting to watch the organization’s incredible growth over the last decade under the leadership of the Fertitta brothers, Dana White and their dedicated team. We’re now committed to pursuing new opportunities for UFC and its talented athletes to ensure the sport’s continued growth and success on a global scale.”