By ROBERT GOLDRICH
Cucoloris Films-the Venice-based commercial production house headed by partners/executive producers Linda Stewart and Bernie Wesson, and partner/director Danny Ducovny-has entered into a strategic alliance with DoRo, a European company active in music videos, concert films, television programs and spots.
Formed nearly 20 years ago in Vienna, Austria, by the directing tandem of Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher, DoRo first made its reputation in the music video arena. The studio’s credits include clips for such artists as The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen and Queen. Most recently, Dolezal and Rossacher teamed to direct a pair of videos, David Bowie’s "Under Pressure" and Elton John’s "The Show Must Go On," as well as a documentary of Whitney Houston’s two-and-a-half-month European tour.
The Bowie and John clips were produced through Berlin-based Department M, which is DoRo’s five-year-old music video division. Dolezal said that he and Rossacher launched Department M to develop other young, up-and-coming directors. DoRo also maintains commercial, concert film and TV program divisions. In addition to Vienna and Berlin, DoRo has offices in Cologne, Germany, and London.
Via its relationship with Cucoloris, DoRo establishes its first stateside foothold. Dolezal estimated that Department M shoots 10 to 20 European videos annually in the U.S. But beyond facilitating that work, the Cucoloris deal figures to open up other opportunities for DoRo, spanning such disciplines as American spots and videos. And in longform, DoRo-via its Department F division, Berlin-is in development on a feature film based on the life of Dolezal’s close friend, the late Austrian rock star Falco, who died tragically in a car accident. This feature is planned as a co-production of DoRo’s Department F, Cucoloris and Munich-based studio Bavaria Films.
Endeavor Group Sells Professional Bull Riders, On Location and IMG To Parent of WWE and UFC
The parent company of WWE and UFC is buying Professional Bull Riders, On Location, and IMG from Endeavor Group in an all-stock deal valued at $3.25 billion.
The deal is part of Endeavor's efforts to shed some of its assets as it looks to be taken private in a proposed transaction with private equity firm Silver Lake, which was announced in April. Ariel Emanuel, who serves as CEO of Endeavor, is also executive chair and CEO of TKO.
Professional Bull Riders is a bull riding league that has more than 200 annual live events, approximately 1.25 million fans, and reaches more than 285 million households in more than 65 territories. On Location is live event company for more than 1,200 sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, Ryder Cup and NCAA Final Four. IMG is a distributor and producer of sports content, packages and sells media rights and brand partnerships, and provides consulting, digital services and event management to clients such as the National Football League and National Hockey League.
Parent company TKO Group said Thursday that the acquisition from Endeavor Group will complement its existing businesses as well as broaden its reach in the premium sports market.
"PBR, On Location, and IMG are industry-leading assets that meaningfully enhance TKO's portfolio and strengthen our position in premium sports globally," TKO Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro said in a statement. "Within TKO, they will help power the growth of our revenue streams and position us to capture even more upside from some of the most attractive parts of our sports ecosystem: media rights, live events, ticket sales, premium experiences, brand partnerships, and site fees."
As part of the deal, Endeavor will receive about 26.14 million common units of TKO... Read More