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Triathletes awaiting the start of their 2.4 miles (3.86km) swim portion, the first part of a swim-bike-run race during the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona in Hawaii on October 12, 2013. Dalian Wanda Group, the Chinese property-to-theme-park conglomerate, bought the World Triathlon Corp., which owns the rights to the race, in 2015. Photo: Reuters
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Wanda taps Citigroup, CLSA, UBS to arrange for an initial public offer of its sports unit

Dalian Wanda Group
Reuters
Reuters
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Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group has tapped three banks including Citigroup and UBS Group to work on a proposed initial public offering (IPO) for its sports businesses, four people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

An IPO would follow a string of asset sales as Wanda works to meet debt repayment deadlines. It was one of several domestic conglomerates to be targeted by a government crackdown last year for aggressive overseas acquisitions, with sources saying banks were told to stop providing funding for some deals.

One of the biggest Chinese asset buyers says Wanda’s spendthrift, cash-burning days are over

The sprawling property-to-entertainment group has yet to decide which exchange to list on and is considering both Hong Kong and New York, two of the sources said. It hopes to raise up to US$1 billion via the share sale, one of them said.

The float would likely include Infront Sports & Media AG, a Swiss sports marketing company, and World Triathlon, the organiser and promoter of the Ironman race, Reuters reported this month. The two were acquired in 2015 for US$1.2 billion and US$650 million, respectively.

Wanda also tapped Hong Kong-based CLSA, the international investment banking arm of China’s Citic Securities, for a potential IPO, one of the sources said.

Wang Jianlin (L), founder of Dalian Wanda Group, and World Triathlon Corp’s chief executive Andrew Messick (R) during a signing ceremony at a hotel in Beijing on 27 August 2015. Wanda bought WTC for US$650 million plus debt. The WTC, under Providence Equity Partners, licenses the Ironman brand. Photo: EPA
All plans are still at an early stage and there is no guarantee that Wanda will pursue an IPO, said the people who declined to be named as the information was confidential.

Wanda, Citigroup and CLSA declined to comment. UBS didn’t respond to requests for comment.

While an offshore listing makes more sense as the majority of its sports assets are located overseas, the company would also consider a listing for its domestic sports business in mainland China, according to one of the sources.

Unlisted Wanda, owned by Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin, has grown through acquisitions and its businesses now span property, sports and entertainment. Fitch Ratings estimates that Wanda Commercial Properties, its commercial real estate arm, had total debt of around US$34 billion as of the end of September.

SCMP Graphics

Since the crackdown by Beijing, Wanda and other conglomerates such as HNA Group and Fosun International have dialled back some their ambitions abroad.

Last week, Wanda agreed to sell its interests in a high-profile London property project. It is also expected to announce the sale of two Australian property projects in the coming days.

Those in turn follow the sale of a portfolio of hotels and 13 tourism assets in China for $9 billion last year.

It also said on the weekend that revenue fell 10.8 per cent in 2017, the second consecutive year it declined, due to asset sales.

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