Byron Allen's Media Empire on the Auction Block: Is This a Joke or a Genuine Bat-Signal?

The Empire Strikes... Out?

Gotham's media landscape is less dramatic than this. Allen Media Group the brainchild of former comedian Byron Allen is apparently throwing in the towel... or at least a portion of it. Word on the street – and by street I mean encrypted channels – is that Allen is selling off his 28 broadcast TV stations. 'Why so serious?' Well it seems even the most ambitious empires can't outrun the debt collector even if they are wearing a Bat suit. I have faced tougher odds in a dark alley.

Bat Signal or Bailout?

Allen Media Group has brought in investment bank Moelis & Co. to handle the sale of the 28 stations affiliated with the likes of ABC NBC CBS and Fox across 21 markets in the US. This comes after investing more than $1 billion to acquire the stations over the past six years. A billion dollars you say? Maybe I should look into buying Wayne Enterprises more broadcasting stations instead of just funding it. It appears that Allen has decided to explore a sale due to receiving "numerous inquiries and written offers" for most of the stations. It seems as if he thinks this is all part of the act.

Follow the Money: A Comedian's Tragedy?

Allen claims he invested over a billion dollars but the numbers don't lie. Turns out Allen Media Group has been less than punctual with payments to its network overlords. We're talking tens of millions of dollars sometimes 90 days late. And don't get me started on the layoffs. I have seen this before in Gotham. A comedy show that has gone horribly wrong. The question is who will laugh last?

Everybody Has a Price

Apparently Sinclair is also considering selling off a sizable chunk of its stations and Apollo Global Management is toying with the idea of offloading its Cox Media Group portfolio. Is this a fire sale or a media apocalypse? Gotham after all has seen its fair share of dark days. This seems to be one of the biggest stories to hit the press.

The Art of the (Media) Deal

Allen not one to shy away from grand gestures has previously made a $30 billion bid for Paramount Global and a $10 billion offer for ABC and other Disney networks as well as a $3.5 billion bid for Paramount's BET Media Group. At this point I am beginning to think that this is all a giant ruse just like one of the Joker's plans.

Some Men Just Want to Watch the Media Burn

Will this sale revive Allen Media Group or is it merely a temporary reprieve? Time will tell. But one thing is certain: in the ever evolving media landscape even empires built on laughter can crumble under the weight of debt. As for me I'll stick to protecting Gotham. At least there the villains are upfront about their intentions. Even the ones that are a clown.