Korea’s CJ ENM Bets Major on Leisure With Endeavor Written content Offer

South Korean enjoyment conglomerate CJ ENM is earning a just about $1 billion bet to grow into a greater player in the international information business enterprise by obtaining an an 80% stake in Endeavor Content, the production entity that Endeavor was compelled to divest soon after dropping a showdown with the Writers Guild of America.

CJ ENM described the deal as the greatest M&A transaction in its 26-year historical past. The settlement values the majority curiosity in Endeavor Content at $775 million. Endeavor will receive $655 million, when Endeavor Information will receive a $120 million influx of money to fuel the dozens of Television courses and videos that the unit has in various phases of production.

The offer has an business price of $850 million and what the news launch curiously explained as a “post-cash equity valuation” of $970 million. Endeavor was represented in the transaction by Raine Group.

CJ ENM is publicly traded on the Korean Trade. Shares are up 26% for the calendar year to date. The business is portion of the greater CJ Team, led by chairman Jay Lee and his sister, vice chairman Miky Lee, considering the fact that 1994. CJ was an early trader in DreamWorks Images, which permitted Miky Lee to make significant associations in Hollywood.

“We are thrilled to announce this offer with Endeavor Articles, a organization that is growing at a extraordinary speed in the US and European marketplaces,” said Kang Ho-Sung, CEO, CJ ENM. “We are self-assured that this deal will produce synergy between both corporations, globally acknowledged for their generation abilities and record of hit IP properties. At the finish of the day, CJ ENM strives to grow to be a important global studio that encompasses content that appeals to a world-wide viewers – like this offer with Endeavor Written content, we will keep on to grow our existence in the world-wide industry.”

Endeavor Written content, headed by WME veterans Chris Rice and Graham Taylor, has about 200 full-time employees. The prepare is for these two to continue to run the corporation from its Los Angeles base. The co-CEOs in a joint assertion hailed the new partnership as bolstering “our mission to empower creators and foster an inclusive atmosphere that encourages numerous articles on a world-wide scale.”

Endeavor Material was fashioned in 2017 to rev up the content manufacturing aspect of Endeavor, but the shift helped spark a two-year combat with the Writers Guild of America more than conflict of fascination concerns since the company also owns Hollywood’s biggest expertise company, WME. In January, Endeavor arrived at a settlement with the WGA that known as for it to divest the greater part of its desire in the scripted movie and Television set operations of Endeavor Material, which has co-manufactured these kinds of series as BBC America’s “Killing Eve,” AMC’s “The Night Supervisor,” Hulu’s “Normal People” and “Nine Best Strangers.”

“Four years back, we set out to establish a expertise-to start with studio that prioritized greater innovative freedom and ownership,” remarked Ariel Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor. “Graham Taylor, Chris Rice and the total Endeavor Content material staff sent on that promise, and this transaction further more underscores the enduring benefit of talent and premium material. Acquiring acknowledged Miky Lee for additional than 25 years, I’m assured that CJ ENM will be great stewards of the studio, accelerating and amplifying its tasks on a global stage.”

Click listed here to indication up for Assortment‘s cost-free Media Earnings newsletter.

CJ ENM is a rapid-mounting firm in South Korea’s growing enjoyment sector. The conglomerate’s extreme aim on growing its content material manufacturing abilities has been just one of the big attracts for Endeavor. CJ ENM’s leisure division provides Television set reveals and movies, like Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 Oscar winner “Parasite.” It has a songs wing that has served distribute K-pop seems outside of Korea’s borders, as nicely as doing arts and stay celebration operations. The organization also runs a large ecommerce platform CJ OnStyle.

Endeavor will hold on to the movie product sales, movie advisory and unscripted content material functions of Endeavor information. Endeavor’s deal with the WGA bars WME from currently being aligned with a guardian enterprise that owns a lot more than 20% of a generation-distribution operation. But it does not bar Endeavor from creating assignments that do not include WGA members.

Resources near to the scenario stated Endeavor had no scarcity of curiosity in the auction course of action that was managed by Raine Team. Raine served as fiscal advisor to Endeavor in the offer though Latham & Watkins was lawful advisor. For CJ ENM, J.P. Morgan was financial advisor and O’Melveny & Myers ended up legal eagles.

A range of media-concentrated private equity teams lined up. But it’s recognized that Apollo Global Administration and Blackstone did not wind up distributing bids even nevertheless the two investment giants have have been lively in looking for roll-up options for disparate media and enjoyment manufacturers.

(Pictured: CJ ENM CEO Kang Ho-Sung)