NeuLion acquired by sports and fashion content provider Endeavor
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Editor
| 27 March 2018

Combat sports broadcaster Endeavor has entered into an agreement to buy live and on-demand digital video broadcasting, distribution and monetisation technology provider NeuLion in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $250 million.

Named one of Fortune’s 25 Most Important Private Companies, Endeavor, formerly known as WME|IMG, comprises a number of companies in sports, entertainment and fashion including WME, IMG and UFC. Upon completion of the transaction, NeuLion will become a privately held subsidiary of Endeavor.

“We’re excited by the value delivered to our stockholders through this transaction, and we’re looking forward to the dynamic opportunities that being part of the Endeavor family will provide for both our current and new clients,” remarked NeuLion president and CEO Roy Reichbach.

“Through our content portfolio, client base, and broader network of rights holders we’ve encountered many different platforms for distributing and monetising content,” added Endeavor CEO Ariel Emanuel. “NeuLion provides an ideal combination of technology and client services, and we’re excited for the value this brings to our existing partners and the foundation it provides for our future digital growth.”

The acquisition follows corporate streamlining by NeuLion, who in December 2017 agreed to sell a number of its DivX assets, intellectual property and subsidiaries to an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group. The assets were valued at the time at $41.5 million and were not core to NeuLion’s focus on the over-the-top (OTT) market. In making the move, NeuLion expected to reduce significantly employee headcount across various departments of the company that have been assigned to DivX.