This fall Standard & Poor’s downgraded Zuffa’s credit rating and then its business outlook over a month later.
The downgrade in credit rating from “BB” to “BB–” was due to “greater EBITDA volatility.”
S&P issues credit ratings for the debt of public and private companies and is one of several credit agencies that is designated as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
From our write-up in October:
In its overview, S&P concluded that Zuffa “will experience a 30% decline in EBITDA (Earnings Before Income Tax, Depreciation and Amortization) in 2014 and greater EBITDA volatility over time than we previously had anticipated.” Despite the gloomy outlook, it stated that Zuffa’s outlook is stable and 2015 will be a recovery year for the company. This is based on the belief that injured fighters return and PPV buys and ticket prices increase.
The report identifies Zuffa having $535 million in credit with $60 million in “senior secured revolving credit facility due 2018 and a $475 million senior secured term loan due 2020.”
Zuffa’s credit rating had maintained a “BB rating” since December 2010. It was previously downgraded in November 2007 from BB to BB-.
Just over a month later, S&P revised its outlook on Zuffa from “stable” to “negative” with the forecast that Zuffa’s earnings would decline “approximately 40%”
Via S&P press release:
“The negative outlook revision reflects our updated forecast for 2014 EBITDA to decline approximately 40% (compared to a decline of 30% previously), primarily due to a change to a marquee fight card in the fourth quarter of 2014 as a result of another fighter injury causing anticipated pay per view (PPV) buys and event ticket prices to decline further, as well as higher remarketing expenses for the event, and additional costs related to the company’s international expansion,” said Standard & Poor’s credit analyst Stephen Pagano.
Payout Perspective:
When we see the UFC using the hashtag #thetimeisnow, you can almost interpret it for the UFC business as well as the impending fights happening in the first quarter of 2015. Since S&P’ handed down the news to Zuffa, we’ve seen an increase in business activity. It has forged a deal with Reebok making it the exclusive clothier of the UFC, the signings of CM Punk and Rampage Jackson and the potential sponsor signing of Monster Energy Drink. Add these business happenings with three big PPVs to start off the first quarter and the hope is that business is picking up. If this were to happen, Zuffa may stave off another bad review by S&P in the first quarter of 2015.
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