Endeavor Fully Acquired by Silver Lake
Deal News | Mar 24, 2025 | SilverLake
In a landmark deal, Silver Lake, a global leader in technology investing, successfully completed the acquisition of Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., converting it into a privately held company. This acquisition marks Silver Lake's largest investment in the media and entertainment sector in over a decade, valuing the total enterprise at $25 billion. Endeavor, which is involved in sports and entertainment and holds a significant stake in TKO Group Holdings, will now operate under the newly formed WME Group. This group encompasses leading talent and intellectual property representation businesses like WME, 160over90, IMG Licensing, and Pantheon Media Group. The acquisition deal priced Endeavor shares at $27.50 each, offering a 55% premium on the unaffected share price. Silver Lake, along with Mubadala Investment Company, DFO Management, Lexington Partners, and others, provided the equity financing. Under the new structure, key figures such as Ariel Emanuel, Mark Shapiro, and Patrick Whitesell will take on prominent leadership roles, carving strategic paths to enhance Endeavor’s offerings. The deal underscores a robust commitment to advancing talent representation and expanding its foothold across sports, media, and entertainment industries.
Sectors
- Media and Entertainment
- Private Equity
- Talent Management
Geography
- United States – The transaction is centered around Endeavor, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, and Silver Lake, based in Menlo Park, California. Furthermore, related entities like TKO Group Holdings are USA-based.
- Global – Endeavor and its affiliated groups, such as WME and IMG, have a global operational scope, influencing diverse markets across continents through events and representation.
Industry
- Media and Entertainment – The article discusses the acquisition of Endeavor, which operates in the global sports and entertainment sphere, emphasizing its controlling interest in TKO Group and brands such as UFC and WWE.
- Private Equity – Silver Lake's involvement as a leading technology investment firm highlights the Private Equity industry aspect, focusing on strategic acquisitions and investments to foster growth in high-potential companies.
- Talent Management – The article involves Endeavor's focus on talent representation and management, especially under the new entity WME Group, which represents artists and manages brand licensing.
Financials
- $27.50 per share – Cash offer per share to Endeavor stockholders.
- 55% premium – Premium on the unaffected share price of $17.72.
- 39% premium – Premium to the 30-day Volkswagen Average Price (VWAP) for Endeavor shares.
- $25 billion – Total enterprise value combining all of TKO's value into Endeavor.
- Approximately $104 billion – Combined assets under management and committed capital by Silver Lake.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. | Target Company | Company | A global sports and entertainment company. |
| Silver Lake | Bidding Company/Buyer | Company | A global leader in technology investing. |
| TKO Group Holdings, Inc. | Other Company | Company | A major sports and entertainment company, known for brands such as UFC and WWE. |
| Mubadala Investment Company | Investor | Company | One of the strategic investors in Silver Lake's acquisition of Endeavor. |
| DFO Management, LLC | Investor | Company | Family investment office of Michael Dell. |
| Lexington Partners | Investor | Company | Provided additional capital for the take-private transaction. |
| Goldman Sachs Asset Management | Investor | Company | Managed funds involved in financing the acquisition. |
| CPP Investments | Investor | Company | Contributed capital to the acquisition deal. |
| Egon Durban | Co-CEO and Managing Partner | Person | Co-CEO and Managing Partner of Silver Lake. |
| Ariel Emanuel | Executive Chairman | Person | Executive Chairman of WME Group and a key figure in the Endeavor transaction. |
| Patrick Whitesell | CEO/Founder | Person | Becomes CEO and Founder of a new platform post-acquisition. |
| Mark Shapiro | President and Managing Partner | Person | Now leads WME Group alongside Silver Lake. |