city Redbird: Last News

The XFL, whose latest revival as a springtime alternative to the NFL has been steered by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, is merging with the USFL.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Rani R. Raad, a former president of CNN Commercial Worldwide, has been appointed CEO of Abu Dhabi-based media company International Media Investments.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Jeff Zucker is not shopping for CNN, according to one of the backing partners of his new media venture. Gerry Cardinale, the private equity player and founder of RedBird Capital, partnered with International Media Investments last year to launch a $1 billion media acquisitions engine run by Zucker. Reports were rampant in June that Zucker was looking to take CNN off the hands of Warner Bros. Discovery, after running the news network for decades before resigning in 2022 over a consensual workplace affair. “No,” Cardinale said on Thursday when asked if he and Zucker were looking to buy CNN, speaking on stage at the Variety and Sportico Sports and Entertainment Summit in West Hollywood. “I would not have the longevity that I’ve had if I ran my business running around town talking about deals in a way that’s, frankly, disrespectful to David Zaslav. I’m kind of amused and irritated by it.”

Wrexham FC owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny and Creed actor Michael B. Jordan have invested in Formula 1 team Alpine.

EXCLUSIVE: Unstoppable has, in fact, been stopped — at least for now. Production on the wrestling drama, starring Jennifer Lopez and Jharrel Jerome, paused for the day earlier this morning following picketing at their shooting location near USC.

EXCLUSIVE: Jharrel Jerome, the Emmy winner, Moonlight actor and EP/star of the upcoming Prime Video series, I’m a Virgo, which just premiered at SXSW, has signed on to star in Artists Equity’s tentatively titled Unstoppable, the Jennifer Lopez starring, Billy Goldenberg directing project we first told you about yesterday.

EXCLUSIVE: As Amazon Studios is set to debut Artists Equity’s first movie, Air, at SXSW’s closing night, the Ben Affleck-Matt Damon production company is in final talks to make their second feature, currently titled Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez.

Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment is selling a majority stake to Paris-based Mediawan, Deadline has confirmed, following news several months ago that the company was seeking a buyer.

Ben Affleck says his newly minted studio Artists Equity, in partnership with Matt Damon, is going for films that are commercial but smart, that acknowledge popular tastes, but that “people remember 20 years later.”

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are co-founding a production company together with the help of RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale. The Argo star, 50, and the Martian actor, 52, will reportedly start an 'artist-led studio that partners with filmmakers to empower creative vision and broaden access to profit participation,' according to Deadline. While the news was originally reported back in June, more details have emerged about the arrangement.  New company: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are co-founding a production company together with the help of RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale (pictured November 2016)Cardinale's company, which manages more than a billion dollars in assets, is reportedly making a 'significant financial commitment' to the company, named Artists Equity. Ben and Matt, who have been friends for decades and won Oscars for co-writing the 1997 movie Good Will Hunting, have generated more than $10 billion at the box office.  They've starred in more than 100 films and will reportedly lead the company together. 'Artists Equity was conceived from Matt’s and my longtime passion for the art of storytelling and our shared desire to help creators deliver on their vision, as we have been fortunate to do throughout our careers,' Affleck said in a statement to Deadline.  New: The Argo star, 50, and the Martian actor, 52, will reportedly start an 'artist-led studio that partners with filmmakers to empower creative vision and broaden access to profit participation,' according to Deadline (pictured 2021) Co-founder: Cardinale's company, which manages more than a billion dollars in assets, is reportedly making a 'significant financial commitment' to the company, named Artists Equity (RedBird CEO Gerry Cardinale

As Deadline’s Mike Fleming reported back in June of this year, Redbird Capital Partners has today confirmed details in that story. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Gerry Cardinale are launching an artist-led studio that partners with filmmakers to empower creative vision and broaden access to profit participation.

Jeff Zucker, who left WarnerMedia last February just before its merger with Discovery, is in discussions with RedBird Capital to lead a $1 billion sports investment fund backed by the private equity outfit.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer David Ellison’s media company Skydance has completed a $400 million investment round, led by global firm KKR and the Ellison family. Previous investors RedBird Capital and Tencent have also upped their contributions, bringing the total valuation of the producer behind “Top Gun: Maverick” to over $4 billion. The Ellison family remains the majority stakeholder in the venture. “Skydance has already created a diverse collection of premium content across multiple formats, and we are only in the early stages of what they can accomplish. We look forward supporting the Skydance team as they continue to build their business across TV, film, animation, gaming and sports and tell compelling stories in new and innovative ways,” said KKR parter Ted Oberwager, who leads the gaming, entertainment, media and sports verticals within KKR’s Americas Private Equity business.

EXCLUSIVE: While Ben Affleck just started Monday directing the untitled drama about maverick sneaker salesman Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon)’s dogged pursuit to get Michael Jordan to lace up in Nike shoes, Affleck and Damon are getting traction on their own groundbreaking endeavor.

EXCLUSIVE: The SpringHill Company, which recently received a minority investment valuing it at $725 million, has announced a key promotion and two senior exec hires as part of an ongoing expansion.

NBA star LeBron James, who already had a stake in the Fenway Sports Group’s Liverpool soccer club, has become part-owner of the company’s marquee asset: the Boston Red Sox.