OH SNAP!
ESPN.com broke the news yesterday that the UFC might be for sale and that there are for right now four potential buyers. They are Dalian Wanda Group (DWG), WME/IMG, China Media Capital, and The Blackstone Group. The price tag is $3-$4 billion dollars despite Forbes estimating its worth between $1-$1.5 billion only two years earlier. Dana White says the report is ‘fact free’ and just a rumor. Knowing Dana, some speculate that just means there are other buyers out there, and not necessarily that it itsn’t for sale.
UFC public relations executive Dave Sholler told ESPN.com the following:
“As a private company, we don’t discuss speculation or rumors related to our business.”
Zuffa LLC, UFC’s parent company for a meager $2 million and have become a very lucrative MMA juggernaut. It may surprise you that they only pulled in $200-$250 million last year before taxes, etc.. ESPN reported further.
“… numbers presented to potential investors said that Goldman Sachs had represented UFC’s last full year earnings in the $200 million to $250 million range, before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. A new television rights deal, which would begin in 2019, could add an additional $250 million in annual revenue to the bottom line, investors were advised.”
Thanks to MMAmania.com