Patrick Whitesell has made his first investment under a just created venture backed by Silver Lake — acquiring a minority stake in Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.
The former executive chairman of Endeavor, which was taken private by Silver Lake earlier this week, is CEO of the new platform — which hasn’t yet settled on a name — in partnership with the giant investment fund that will focus on sports, media and entertainment businesses. Silver Lake is providing an initial $250 million in capital.
Financial details of the deal with Omaha Productions weren’t disclosed.
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“All of us at Omaha are excited to get to work with Patrick and Egon as our new teammates to grow the business and create new opportunities for fans,” said co-founder Manning, referring to Silver Lake CEO Egon Durban.
The new investor joins Peter Chernin, whose North Road took a minority stake in Omaha in 2023 and has served as a strategic partner with the two companies collaborating on a number of series. North Road will remain a minority investor.
“Peter Chernin and his team have been great partners over the past two years and have helped us build a strong foundation. I’m very excited for all of us to work together to continue to build Omaha,” said Manning.
The announcement said Omaha has been profitable since its founding in 2020. It will use the fresh funds to grow its existing lines of business, expand into new areas, and invest in companies that can that benefit from its production and marketing. Most recently, it unveiled an investment in Good Golf, a creator-led golf and lifestyle company.
Manning co-founded Omaha with Jamie Horowitz and has produced and sold over 30 television shows and movies, scripted and unscripted, to major networks and streaming platforms, spanning genres from sports to lifestyle to comedy. Omaha’s branded content work has created campaigns for over 36 brands. It has an audio division that includes collaborations with ESPN talent such as Scott Van Pelt and Mina Kimes. And the company has teamed up with the NFL to reimagine the Pro Bowl and launch the inaugural NFL FLAG Championships, a youth flag football tournament airing on ESPN.
“Omaha’s strong track record of creating engaging content puts them in a strong position to capitalize on new opportunities across entertainment and sports,” said Whitesell. “Partnering with Peyton, Jamie, and the Omaha team is such a clear choice as the first investment for our new venture, given their impressive track record, the strength of the business, and commitment to applying the same energy to continuing the company’s growth.”
Omaha Productions currently serves as executive producer on ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, Netflix’s first and upcoming second season of Quarterback, Netflix’s Receiver, and ESPN+’s Places franchise, which includes series featuring Peyton and Eli Manning, Stephanie McMahon, and many others. To date, the company has produced over 30 television series and live events for media partners including The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, NBCUniversal, Amazon Prime, Paramount, A+E Networks, and VICE.
“In just four years, Peyton, Jamie, and the hardworking, ambitious team at Omaha have built a dynamic business across multiple high-end content verticals,” agreed Durban. “They’ve executed with discipline while staying true to their core vision. After getting to know Peyton and the leadership team, it’s clear they have the authenticity, drive, and creative instincts to push into new frontiers in a highly dynamic, rapidly evolving media industry. We’re excited to partner with them and help fuel their next phase of growth.”
Added Chernin: “Peyton and Jamie have built an exceptional media business, grounded in Peyton’s humor, heart, and authenticity,” said Peter Chernin. “They have coupled that with a clear, bold, and diversified strategic vision that sets Omaha Productions apart. We’re proud to be investors through North Road, and I can’t think of better partners than Patrick and Egon to join us as we continue working together to drive the company into its next phase of growth.”
