Celebrity Business Moves — 2026-05-25
This week's biggest celebrity business headline is James Murdoch's $300 million move to acquire nearly half of Vox Media — a stunning power play from the media heir who lost the succession battle for News Corp. On the sports side, Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes' 2026 highest-paid athletes list with a record payday, while LIV Golf scrambled for up to $350 million in new investment as its Saudi sovereign wealth fund backing looks uncertain. The week also saw a flurry of NFL ownership shuffles, with Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel among new investors in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Celebrity Business Moves — 2026-05-25
Top Moves This Week
James Murdoch — $300 Million Stake in Vox Media
- The Move: James Murdoch purchased nearly half of Vox Media in a $300 million deal.
- Details: The acquisition gives Murdoch a major stake in one of digital media's most recognizable brands, including New York Magazine, Vox.com, and the Vox Media podcast network.
- Why It Matters: After losing the succession battle for his family's News Corp empire, Murdoch is building his own media footprint from scratch. Vox Media has struggled in a challenging digital ad environment, making this a high-stakes bet on legacy-plus-digital content bundling.
- Smart or Risky?: Bold but calculated. Murdoch brings operational media expertise and deep industry relationships. Whether he can turn around a struggling digital media company in an era of AI-disrupted content is the real question. The $300M price tag implies confidence — or a bargain hunt.
Byron Allen — Acquires BuzzFeed in $120 Million Deal
- The Move: Media entrepreneur Byron Allen snapped up BuzzFeed and will take a majority stake, also stepping in as CEO.
- Details: The deal is valued at $120 million. Allen takes over a once-dominant millennial media brand that has struggled with monetization and layoffs in recent years.
- Why It Matters: Allen continues his aggressive media acquisition strategy, consolidating struggling digital-native properties into his growing portfolio. BuzzFeed's massive content library and social reach still carry audience value, even if its ad revenue model has deteriorated.
- Smart or Risky?: Calculated contrarian bet. Allen has a track record of buying distressed media assets and extracting value. BuzzFeed's brand recognition is still real — the question is whether the business model can be rebuilt in 2026's media landscape.
Cannes Film Festival — A24 & Amazon Deal Activity Amid Slow Market
- The Move: A24 and Amazon added last-minute deal sizzle at Cannes 2026, though the overall dealmaking environment was notably muted.
- Details: The Hollywood Reporter described it as "no fun at the beach for dealmakers," with the real story being deals that didn't get done. A24 and Amazon were exceptions in a slow market.
- Why It Matters: Cannes is traditionally a bellwether for global content deal appetite. A sluggish 2026 edition suggests studios and streamers remain cautious about content spending despite AI-driven cost pressures and a still-recovering post-strike market.
- Smart or Risky?: A24's continued deal activity at Cannes cements its premium positioning. Amazon's selective engagement signals disciplined spend rather than pullback.
Brand Launches & Expansions
No verified new celebrity brand launches with confirmed publication dates after 2026-05-18 were available in this week's research results.
Investments & Deals
- Ari Emanuel invested in the Las Vegas Raiders: The WME/Endeavor CEO is among a new cohort of Raiders investors confirmed this week, alongside Mark Shapiro and expanded stakes by Egan Durban. Meanwhile, Arctos Partners continues spreading NFL bets, taking a new stake in the Cleveland Browns, and Blue Owl's Ostrover sold his remaining stake in the Washington Commanders.
Sports Stars in Business
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Cristiano Ronaldo: Forbes' 2026 World's Highest-Paid Athletes list — published May 22 — places Ronaldo at the top with a record-breaking payday. He is among at least 10 athletes who earned $100 million or more. The list underscores how top athletes continue to leverage global brand value far beyond on-field earnings.
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LIV Golf (Athlete-Facing Venture): LIV Golf is actively seeking up to $350 million in new investment and plans to shrink to a 10-event schedule as it faces the prospect of losing PIF (Saudi Public Investment Fund) backing after 2026. The survival of the league — which was built entirely on athlete recruitment with massive guaranteed contracts — now depends on finding private capital replacements for sovereign wealth.
Analysis: What's Trending
- Distressed media assets are back in play. Both the James Murdoch/Vox Media deal and Byron Allen/BuzzFeed acquisition signal that deep-pocketed buyers see value in struggling digital media brands at discounted valuations. The era of AI-generated content pressure is simultaneously depressing prices and creating acquisition windows.
- NFL ownership is democratizing — carefully. The Raiders, Browns, and Commanders all saw ownership changes this week. Entertainment and finance executives (Ari Emanuel, Arctos, Blue Owl) are increasingly buying minority stakes, turning NFL teams into alternative asset-class investments rather than purely sports properties.
- Sovereign wealth-backed sports leagues are fragile. LIV Golf's scramble for $350M in private capital — after being entirely funded by Saudi Arabia's PIF — is a warning sign for sports properties that relied on single-source mega-funding. Diversified ownership structures appear more durable.
- Cannes signals content caution. A slow dealmaking festival suggests studios and streamers are not in a spending frenzy despite the post-strike content backlog clearing. AI cost savings may be reducing urgency to license or acquire content aggressively.
What to Watch Next
- LIV Golf's survival clock: With a 10-event schedule restructure and $350M fundraise underway, the next 90 days are critical. Watch for announcements of new institutional or private equity backers — or a potential merger with the PGA Tour resuming.
- James Murdoch's Vox strategy: Now controlling nearly half of Vox Media, will Murdoch push for a full acquisition or use it as a launchpad for further digital media consolidation? His next move could reshape the independent media landscape.
- Byron Allen at BuzzFeed: As the new CEO, Allen will face immediate pressure to define a new business model. Whether he leans into AI-assisted content, doubles down on entertainment licensing, or uses BuzzFeed's audience data as an asset will become clear in coming weeks.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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