Ultimate Fighting TV Rights Go Begging in Test for Superagent
- Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor is said to seek up to $400 million
- Auction is the latest test of programmers’ sports appetite
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Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel’s reputation as a legendary dealmaker is being put to the test.
Emanuel’s Endeavor has spent months trying to sell TV rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the mixed martial arts league his company bought for about $4 billion in 2016 with the private-equity firms Silver Lake Partners and KKR. The buyers gambled UFC could obtain a huge payday from TV networks hungry for more live sports.