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Peyton Manning Partners with Patrick Whitesell in Omaha Productions
Peyton Manning has secured a significant business partnership as his company, Omaha Productions, has attracted investment from a new platform established by Patrick Whitesell, the former executive chairman of Endeavor.
This recent deal sees Whitesell’s platform acquiring a minority stake of approximately 10% in Omaha Productions, which places the company’s valuation at over $750 million, according to sources familiar with the transaction.
The investment initiative, backed by private equity firm Silver Lake, will focus on companies within the sports, media, and entertainment sectors. Silver Lake announced the launch of Whitesell’s platform earlier this week and is contributing an initial $250 million to the fund. The Omaha Productions investment marks the platform’s first foray into the business landscape.
Representatives for Whitesell, Omaha Productions, and Silver Lake declined to disclose specific financial details regarding the agreement.
In a statement, Whitesell expressed confidence in Omaha Productions, stating, “Omaha’s strong track record of creating engaging content puts them in a strong position to capitalize on new opportunities across entertainment and sports.”
Founded by Manning and media executive Jamie Horowitz in 2020, Omaha Productions has successfully produced over 30 television series and live events in collaboration with notable media partners such as Disney, Netflix, and NBCUniversal. Among its prominent projects are Netflix’s “Quarterback” and “Receiver” documentary series, as well as the innovative “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” popularly known as the ManningCast, where the Manning brothers provide commentary and interview prominent guests during games.
Silver Lake, a long-time investor in Endeavor, recently finalized its acquisition of the company, transitioning it to a private entity. This deal, factoring in Endeavor’s stake in TKO Sports, has been valued at approximately $25 billion in enterprise value.
With the partnership with Silver Lake, Omaha Productions intends to broaden its business objectives, exploring new avenues that leverage Manning’s profile beyond traditional media. Recently, the company announced an investment in a golf and lifestyle brand called Good Good Golf.
Omaha Productions has consistently been profitable since its inception, indicating that this investment aims more at enhancing the company’s market position and expanding its scope rather than just addressing immediate financial needs.
Both Silver Lake and Whitesell played pivotal roles in transforming Endeavor from a talent agency into a comprehensive sports and entertainment powerhouse, which included the strategic acquisitions of UFC and WWE, culminating in the establishment of the publicly traded entity TKO Group.
Disclosure: Comcast’s NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.
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