Unconfirmed rumors may or may not indicate that the UFC is for sale but do show how deep their connections are to major players in the financial world.
On and off rumors about Zuffa selling the UFC have been floating around for a few years now. Last Thursday Bleacher Report (and former Bloody Elbow) reporter Jonathan Snowden commented on a new one when he tweeted that there were “strong rumors that #UFC in talks with China Media Capital to sell the promotion. Looking for a $6 billion valuation.”
Strong rumors that #UFC in talks with China Media Capital to sell the promotion. Looking for a $6 billion valuation. Crazy times.
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) March 17, 2016
Are the rumors true? Honestly, I don’t know, I’ve been unable to confirm it either way, just as I had been unable to confirm or rebut the previous rumors. True or not, the name China Media Capital is an interesting one because not only is it one that Zuffa should know very well, but it also demonstrates the connections the UFC has developed over the years amongst the movers and shakers of the financial world.
The rumored buyer, China Media Capital, is a private equity and venture capital firm that is based in Shanghai and has made a name for itself investing in media, technology and entertainment in and outside of China. It is also no stranger to big investments, having recently paid $400 million for a share of Manchester City and other soccer clubs and $1.25 billion for the rights to the Chinese Super League, the country’s main soccer league.
Some fans may recall that there are a couple of connections between the UFC and the Manchester City Football Club. The UFC’s current Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Garry Cook, was previously employed as the football club’s CEO. Manchester City is also owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited. The Chairman of the ADUG is His Excellency, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, who also happens to be the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority. The EAA owns Flash Entertainment, FZ-LLC, which in turns owns January Capital, an investment vehicle that owns 10% of Zuffa, LLC back in 2010.
Besides owning shares in Manchester City and the UFC, Al Mubarak is also the CEO of the Mubadala Development Company, a wholly owned investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, which is where the UFC’s new Chief Financial Officer, Nakisa Bidarian, was previously employed, having led the company’s international real estate and hospitality investment and asset management.
The connections don’t end there. The investment banking firm that advised China Media Capital on their purchase of a share of Manchester City is the Raine Group. The Raine Group and China Media Capital reportedly formed a strategic partnership “to leverage the industry and geographic expertise of both firms towards select investments in the sports, entertainment and digital media sectors.” It was the Raine Group that advised Flash Entertainment when they bought a stake in the UFC (Goldman Sachs advised Zuffa on the deal). After that business deal the Raine Group began working directly with the UFC, putting together their exclusive deal with Draftkings.
News reports from 2010 also indicated that the Mubadala Development Company had bought a 9% share in the Raine Group “to tap investment opportunities in media, entertainment and sports.”
In addition to the Abu Dhabi and China Media Capital, the Raine Group also holds close ties to the talent agency William Morris Endeavor. In fact the name Raine is supposedly a portmanteau of founder Joseph Ravitch and Jeffry Sines last names (RAvitch and sINe) with an “e” for their friend and close associate Ari Emanuel, the co-CEO of WME. Some may recall that Ari Emanuel, in addition to being one of the pre-eminents powers in Hollywood and the model Jeremy Piven’s character, Ari Gold, on the HBO show Entourage, was the man who negotiated the UFC’s current 7-year $832 million FOX television deal. On top of that, his agency, WME, represents one of the UFC’s top starts, Ronda Rousey.
So while all those connections might make you dizzy does it mean there is any truth to the rumors of a potential sale? That’s impossible for me to say, but what it does show is how connected a privately owned company of a “niche sport” is to some major players in the world of finance.