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Sunday, September 4, 2022

Repost: Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor Selling Miss Universe Pageant for $20M

Image courtesy of Facebook: Miss Unioverse

Famed superagent Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor is having an ugly time trying to find a buyer for his struggling beauty pageant business, and refuses to chop the price, The Post has learned.

Emanuel, the inspiration for fictional Hollywood agent Ari Gold in HBO’s hit show “Entourage,” has been shopping around his Miss Universe business for the last six months for $20 million, with no luck, a source with knowledge said.

The hard-charging CEO of Endeavor, which owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the William Morris Talent Agency, snapped up the beauty pageant organization from Donald Trump in 2015 ahead of his presidential bid.

Although the sale price was not disclosed, financial statements related to Trump’s political campaign said the organization was worth between $5 million and $25 million and had $3.4 million in revenue. 

A person familiar with Miss Universe’s financial situation told The Post the organization — which includes Miss USA and Miss Teen USA events — books $2 million in losses annually, while generating revenue between $7 million and $9 million. 

Emanuel has been trying to woo foreign investors based in Asia and South America, the sources said. A person familiar with Endeavor’s thinking said in order to offload the asset, the price of Miss Universe may be lowered a little, but not much.

The mogul doesn’t like “admitting” he “lost money” on anything, so the price likely won’t be dropped “enough,” the person added. 

Endeavor declined to comment.

A person familiar with the situation said a buyer is interested but declined to provide details.

The insider said Miss Universe has been profitable on average since Endeavor bought it — if the pandemic year is stripped out. The organization was forced to cancel events in 2020.

Endeavor, which went public in 2021, has been looking to prune some lackluster businesses as it hunts for more acquisitions and grows lucrative, money-making divisions like MMA league UFC, insiders said. 

The Miss Universe pageant, which was founded in 1952, was first televised in 1955 by CBS. It emerged as a competitor to the Miss America pageant, which was founded in 1921. Although the two pageants are often confused, the Miss America pageant is owned by the nonprofit Miss America Organization, which also runs a scholarship program that was launched in 1945.

Miss Universe’s rule book allowed only single women between 18 and 28 who have never been married or had children to apply. In recent years, both events have tried to evolve past their traditional roots as ratings plunged.

Last year’s Miss Universe pageant, won by India’s Harnaaz Sandhu, drew 2.7 million total viewers on Fox — putting the network in last place among the big four broadcasters. The rating marked a 30% dive from the 3.8 million viewers the pageant drew in 2019. Just two years earlier, in 2017, the pageant reeled in 5.2 million total viewers. 

This year’s pageant is slated for December and will again be televised by Fox.

The drop in viewership also comes as critics question whether beauty pageants are dated and hinder the cause of gender equality. The Miss America pageant cut its swimsuit competition in 2018 amid waning ratings that most recently dropped to 3.6 million in 2020.

Last year’s Miss Universe pageant welcomed its first transgender contestant, and next year’s will allow married women and mothers. 

For Endeavor, selling off Miss Universe will help it shore up cash for other business opportunities, a source said, noting that Emanuel has many investment ideas in mind.

Selling off assets has been part of Endeavor’s playbook. Prior to going public, the media conglomerate, which has an investment arm, sold stakes in Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, for about $80 million.

The company, which manages events for Fashion Week events around the world, various PGA golf tournaments and professional tennis tournaments such as Wimbledon and the Australian Open, also sold smaller investments in underperforming businesses, ahead of its second attempt to go public in 2021.

Endeavor, which reps the likes of Matt Damon, Oprah Winfrey and Christian Bale through its WME talent agency, tried and failed to go public in 2019 as investors eschewed Endeavor’s hodgepodge of assets and heavy debt load.

80 comments:

  1. Only $20 Million, (i know this is a huge amount but it's kinda cheap) kayang kaya ni chavit yan or kaya billionaire sa Thailand since mahilig sila sa ganito

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. nakakatuwa naman din yan kung si Chavit and friends nga naman ang makapagbid diyan for the Philippines.

      Delete
    2. 20,000,000 United States Dollar equals to
      1,135,850,000.00 Philippine peso. Billiones po hindi sya cheap🤣

      Delete
    3. 20,000,000 USD equals to
      1,135,850,000.00 Philippine peso. Hindi po cheap ang mahigit 1 Billion piso.

      Delete
    4. Kaya naman pala ibinaba na ang mga requirements

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    5. Parang ang scary. Sana the intention is good but to really empower women

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    6. Sana wag na lang.
      Anong gagawin nila sa Miss USA and Miss Teen USA franchises? Eh diba dapat Amerikano ang may ari para legit yung mga beaucon na yon?
      Wag na makibid sina Chavit diyan. Palugi na yung business, plus kung ano anong changes ginawa ng Endeavor para mag mukhang progressive yung Miss Universe, nandyan na kasali na ang transgender women, and married women, kung mabili man ni Chavit & co. yan, tapos ibabalik nila sa single only, women only, eh mababanatan sila for discrimination…basta wag sana sumali mga Pinoy billionaire business groups sa Miss Universe sale na yan. Besides, the principles of the entire franchise is very un-Filipino, anyway.

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    7. true 9:05 ang chaka na nitong principles ng miss u. sobrang woke.

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    8. Same thought @7:42pm. Si Chavit din agad naisip ko.

      Delete
  2. Eto na ba ang beginning of the end of pagaents?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let’s hope and pray

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    2. They're only big in some countries..

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    3. YES. Para magkapag move on na ang mga pinoy sa mga mas importanteng bagay like science and technology and arts. Hangga't andyan pa kasi yang pinakasikat na beaucon ay mahihirapan mag move on ang mga pinoy.

      Delete
    4. @8:05 yess BAKS!! LOUDER! I'm done with pageants and the hypocrisy of it. Andaming scientists at students na promising dito sa pilipinas. Wala lang support. Also, sports.

      Delete
  3. Chavit pasok! or baka ung Thai na Trans na may network kumuha nyan in as mananalo na Thailand sa MU.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes baka gusto nila mag form ng group para bilihin yan.

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    2. ang makakalaban ni Chavit dyan ay si Nawat.

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    3. Why would they buy it when the revenue is way too low?

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    4. If Chavit will buy MU, ililipat ang HQ sa bandang Ilocos region, sa Vigan, ganern. hahaha

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    5. pag si Chavit yan, syempre sa Vigan ang mga awrahan ng mga girls with matching animals sa kanyang zoo.

      Delete
  4. Naku pati ang Miss Universe, the mother of all Pagaents, nagkakalugi-lugi na rin. So sad, it needs a redesign on its format. Parang nakakasawa na rin kasi ang format nya, tapos ngayon, include pa nila mga Mothers, divorcee etc

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nawala kasi ang kinang nya nu madaming naglabasang title. Parang kumbaga sa dati rare un mga title ngayon kung ano2 ng title naging cheap na tuloy.

      Delete
  5. Tanggapin na lang kasi na irrelevant na ang mga beauty pageants sa USA. Sa Asia lalo na sa Pinas na lang naman pinagkakaguluhan ang Miss Universe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. kaya nga talaga dapat ang magwagi dyan sa franchise na yan ay ang Pilipinas para bongga.

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    2. benta nila dun sa pinay investor na richman yung last name

      Delete
  6. Downgrade n rn kc ang miss u org.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Pls let this be the end of pageants. We pay so much attention to beauty queens. They talk about sisterhood when in fact it’s a toxic envt. It’s a competition. And it objectifies women. Let’s educate our girls to look up to women CEOs, educators, not beauty queens! Halos lahat ng babae sa pilipinas parang it’s a rite of passage for every Filipina to join pageants juicecolored.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! More progressive societies don't bother with archaic pageants anymore. Horrid.

      Delete
    2. YES! I want Filipinas to become CEO's too, not beauty queens or models since wala din namang nagagawa yan para tumaas ang tingin ng ibang bansa sa atin. If more and more Filipinas become successful businesswomen, scientist, artists, CEO's, that is the time the world will stop belittling us.

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    3. Couldn’t agree more! Nasa pedestal sila compared sa napakaraming real girl boss or even our health care workers- nurses, doctors, etc...pansin ko pa after their stint in pageants bagsak nila pag aartista. Tapos right away sila pa marami projects kesa sa mga underrated actors and models. Si Catriona lang yung parang may mga advocacies pa rin...

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    4. 1058 pare pareho lang yang beauty queens. Lol, pasimple ka pa. Sana nga mas maraming mga kabataan ngayon ang gustong maging CEOs at mga athletes, scientists at iba pang nakakaproud na achievements. Hindi yung achievement na wala nmang paki ang karamihan kundi pobreng countries lang din. Lol

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    5. Ngayon lalong nagiba ata ambisyon ng kabataan. Bukod sa magpageant, artista, ngayon pati maging vlogger, influencer hahaha

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  8. hmm 1.2 billion pesos? okay

    ReplyDelete
  9. Miss U and beauty pageants have been irrelevant for years. And for a household name to have $3.4M in revenue only??? I would be embarrassed. Kaya pala panay pander sa South America and Southeast Asia kasi yun na lang may market Miss U, everywhere else no relevance anymore. Time to give it up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Parang mula noong hindi na si Trump ang may-ari ay naging downhill na. Admit it or not, sikat iyan noong si Trump pa ang may-ari and I don't even like Trump. Lol!

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    2. Sikat in Asia and South America. The rest of the world don't care,and rightfully so.

      Delete
  10. Miss Universe has lost its relevance in the era of MeToo movement. Mga 3rd world countries na lang ang baliw na baliw sa pageants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because 3rd world Lang naman ang walang voice ang women. Eh take for example our laws that only men can file adultery to their wives. Saan yong equality. If men become unfaithful husbands, their wives can’t sue their husbands.

      Delete
    2. Pwede po mag file ng concubinage sa husband.. Pwede din mag file under sa ra 9262 anti vawc act.. Form of emotional abuse kase yun cheating kaya pwede din kasuhan base dun

      Delete
  11. Hindi na relevant ang mga pageants. Advocacy ek-ek lang naman kasi. Ginagawa lang stepping stone para mag showbiz.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mas sikat pa ang Miss U nung mga panahon na wala pang mga advocacy ek-ek.

      Delete
    2. masyadong na-politicized na kasi itong MU. lalo na ngayon ang toxic ng woke culture sa western countries. gusto na lang lahat inclusive na dahil dun yung quality bumabagsak na.

      Delete
  12. I dont think its over.. marami pang puede magawa like ilipat lang nila hq nila from US to Manila malaki na matitipid nila don. They can be profitable again as long as they continue to look for opportunities on exploiting este exploring their strong markets like latam and southeast asia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HQ from US to PH? Eh di nawala lalo prestige. Porke nakatipid, profitable agad? Reputation, credibility my dear. Lalong maging dawho ang pageant na yan.

      Delete
  13. Paano na ang magaganda ngayon?
    This is so sad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha love this comment.
      Then it’s time for them to put their brain cells to good use haha

      Delete
    2. mga magagandang retokada

      Delete
    3. Daming magaganda jan na hindi sumasali sa pageant. May ginagawa kasi silang mas makabuluhan. ahahaha 🤗 Bukod pa jan, di nila need magparetoke para lang iprove nila beauty nila

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    4. 1:16 i think isa rin to sa reason na nagdwindle ang miss U, lahat ngayon maganda na (thanks doc). Ang hirap nang maamaze sa looks ng contestant. Minsan napipintasan pa na di maganda ang "gawa". Mga gawa na lang ang sumasali, dami na nating nakitang ibang mas maganda, so whats the point, wheres the prestige hehe

      Delete
  14. kung Philippines edition itong MU. Baka mag guest sila sa mga noontime variety shows. May mga kakanta, sasayaw ganern.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahaha!
      Malamang! Kaloka.🤣

      Delete
    2. true. Nasa mga vlogs na rin sila ng showbiz talkshows at may mga paintriga na nalilink sila sa mga artista.

      Delete
  15. Won’t be surprised if it becomes a reality tv show. Mas malaki kita nun. May botohan. Every week may matatanggal through judges and viewers votes 🤷🏻‍♂️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sad, but you have a point. Still, pageants have no place in progressive societies.

      Delete
    2. Abolish na lang than turn it into a reality show. We already need to evolve as people. Times are more competitive and challenging that everyone has to step up. Look around you, madami nang babaeng maganda that are executives, etc and they’re not even beauty queens. We should be teaching kids that they don’t need to parade their bodies and be objectified by men to reach their goals.

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    3. parang magiging cheap naman pag ganun

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    4. 8:35 pageants are cheap anyway. Only a handful countries glorify it, as if it as an honour to win... para sa Pilipinas! As if naman winning one equates to helping our country get recognized for something truly important like science, arts etc... these pageants don’t bring any good to our society...do they help boost our economy? No. They’re purely entertainment. So I agree with others here- abolish it. Let’s stop objectifying women and teach little girls to pursue arts, science, business etc instead...

      Delete
    5. Reality tv shows malaki kita especially through sms and online voting. Malaki kikitain ng pageant sa mga Pinoys, Latinos, Indos, Indians, Vietnamese, Myanmar, and Thais sa sms voting.

      Delete
  16. its not as prestigious as before. dati napaka cutthroat ng labanan and requirements etc. and plus iba ang ganda at poise ng mga babae noon. hindi brats or scandalous kumbaga nka package na beauty & brains. and i mean natural beauty. ngayon ksi parang contest ng mga plastic surgeons, makeup artists, gowns, aurahan etc etc your appearances are handled by the org lang wlang social media excess. i hope they revamp it din kasi.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yah, you’re right. nawala na nga prestige ng MU. Hndi tulad nuon na ang taas ng tingin ko at inaabangan talaga every year. Nag-aabsent pa ako nun para lang makapanuod.

      Delete
    2. Mahirap na rin irevamp. Sanay na tao makakita ng mas magaganda pa na di beauty queen. Ang hirap na rin maamaze sa hitsura lang, only to find out na retoke pa lang.

      Delete
  17. That's why they are milking Filipinos, Latinos and Thais every year because that is their market. Beauty pageants shouldn't be a priority anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yes!!!!! End this nonsense. Kababawan lang

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sorry. Pero ayaw kong Pilipino bumili ng franchise.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Kacheapan talaga tong mga ganitong beauty pageant.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Pageantry is a business in this context.

    Secondary nalang yang advocacies advocacies kuno. If gusto talaga maka-tulong to these advocacies like AIDS or UNICEF? bakit hindi irekta ang tulong mismo ng wala ng "SHOW" para di na need ng mga hitad.

    We don't need to have a Miss Universe representative to give help and to support advocacies.

    Any woman from all over the world is a "MISS UNIVERSE" with clean intention and willingness to serve or help the needy by inspiring them through their personal experiences even without winning a crown.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has always been a business. Nilagyan lang ng advocacy kuno para hindi mukhang shallow ang show.

      Delete
  22. Sorry sa mga baklang umaasa pero nalugi nga daw si lolo chavit nung naghost tayo ng MU eh so bakit pa nya bibilhin yan eh palubog na? For what? For him to lose more money?

    Let lolo nawat buy that sinking ship so he can crown his beloved thais at last and make Filipinas clap at the back since that was his ultimate wet dream from the day he was born!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tactic lang yan ni Chavit na nalugi siya so he can purchase it for a much lower price.
      Diba pag tumatawad ka sa divi or greenhills lagi sabi ng nagbebenta lugi na raw siya. Pero pag nalaman bibili ka sa iba, go na sa presyo na gusto mo. Hehehe.

      Delete
    2. Chavit is not the only investor na pwedeng maglagay ng milyones dyan, may mga ka group din yan na willing mag invest.

      Delete
  23. In America they don’t even watch this

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! They watch sports instead.

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    2. no, sikat sya sa South America

      Delete
  24. Nagig cheap ba ang beauty pageant dahil napakadaming contest ang lumabas. Dati MU, World and International lang. Ngayon lahat na lang ng pwedeng gawing title gagawin.

    Wala din masyadong humanitarian efforts na ginagawa. Puro advocacy, walang action. Talagang ganda lang ang meron sa BeauCon ngayon. Ung ganda hindi pa natural, thank you doc. Pati trans at kasal pwede na din sumali.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anung mangyayari s Charity nila at mga good causes?

    ReplyDelete

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