KKR Leads Investment Round in Skydance Media

Paul, Weiss advised KKR as lead investor in a $400 million strategic investment round in Skydance Media. Skydance is an independent global media company founded by producer and actor David Ellison that produces leading film, television, video game and other entertainment, including Top Gun: Maverick, Netflix’s Grace and Frankie and many others.

The fundraise, which values the company at over $4 billion, also included the Ellison family, who remain the company’s majority shareholders, and existing investors RedBird Capital Partners and Tencent. KKR is investing in Skydance through funds and accounts managed by its Strategic Investments Group. Its investment and global network will support Skydance’s growth initiatives in sports and interactive entertainment, as well as the continued scaling of Skydance’s existing verticals like animation.

The Paul, Weiss team included corporate partners Sarah Stasny, Jeffrey Marell and Suhan Shim, counsel Andrea Quek and Hilary Christian; entertainment and intellectual property partner Charles Googe; tax partner Robert Holo; executive compensation partner Rebecca Coccaro; real estate partner Peter Fisch; litigation counsel Steven Herzog; and antitrust counsel Marta Kelly.