TKO Invests In NFL, RedBird Joint Venture As It Inks Sunday Ticket Deal
TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC and the WWE, which is controlled by Endeavor, has made a strategic investment in EverPass Media as the media platform gains the ability to stream NFL‘s Sunday Ticket games for commercial businesses.
The platform, which distributes live sports and other entertainment content to businesses, is backed by RedBird Capital Partners and 32 Equity, the strategic investment arm of the NFL. EverPass has acquired UPshow, an entertainment and performance marketing platform with streaming capabilities, which gives it the ability to stream NFL Sunday Ticket starting with the upcoming 2024 NFL season. Financial details of the acquisition or of the investment by TKO were not disclosed.
As part of the investment, Mark Shapiro, TKO’s president and chief operating officer, has joined the board of EverPass.
EverPass and UPshow are also both partners for Peacock Sports Pass, which offers businesses access to events from Peacock’s live sports content library, including Big Ten football and basketball, Premier League and the NFL’s first regular-season game in Brazil.
“Just over a year ago we launched EverPass with a mission of creating the preeminent live sports and entertainment media platform built specifically for commercial establishments. Today’s announcements mark two important steps towards that goal,” said Derek Chang, executive chairman of EverPass. “Adding UPshow’s impressive technology stack to our existing and growing content library gives us the infrastructure to continue to scale our business model and innovate around the out-of-home viewing experience while also giving business owners complete control of their entertainment content.”
Chang added, “We’re also glad to welcome Mark Shapiro and TKO to EverPass, whose leadership and expertise will support our continued growth as we look to be at the forefront of the shifting sports, media and entertainment ecosystem.”
