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Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. is set to leave the public markets after agreeing to be taken private in a sweeping $6.2 billion all-cash transaction led by Mubadala Capital in partnership with TWG Global.

The deal, announced late Monday, marks a dramatic turn for one of the world’s largest outdoor advertising companies — a business that beams its messages from highways, airports and city skylines across the globe.

A Premium Bet on Outdoor Advertising

Under the agreement, Clear Channel shareholders will receive $2.43 per share — a striking 71% premium over the company’s last unaffected closing price of $1.42 on Oct. 16, according to the company’s announcement.

The transaction, unanimously approved by Clear Channel’s board of directors, is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2026, pending customary regulatory approvals and shareholder consent.

Once finalized, Clear Channel’s shares will cease trading on public markets. Investors appeared cautiously optimistic Tuesday, sending the stock up roughly 8%.

Financing and Structure

The deal is supported by approximately $3 billion in equity commitments from Mubadala Capital and TWG Global. Additional financing will come through debt led by JPMorgan Chase and funds managed by Apollo. Apollo-affiliated funds have also committed preferred equity as part of the transaction.

Clear Channel will enter a 45-day “go-shop” window to seek potential alternative bids, a period that runs through March 26.

Freshfields LLP is advising Mubadala, with corporate partners Ethan Klingsberg and Oliver Board leading the team. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel to Clear Channel.

Strategic Vision for the Next Phase

Scott Wells, Clear Channel’s chief executive officer, described the acquisition as a pivotal moment.

“This transaction delivers compelling value to our shareholders, strengthens our financial flexibility by reducing debt and increasing cash flow to invest in the business, and positions Clear Channel for its next phase of long-term growth,” Wells said.

For Mubadala, the move aligns with a strategy of targeting companies where layered challenges can unlock opportunity.

Oscar Fahlgren, Mubadala’s chief investment officer, said the acquisition reflects the firm’s approach of “identifying high-quality businesses where complexity creates opportunity and long-term partnership drives value.”

Mark Walter, co-chairman and CEO of TWG, framed the deal as a launchpad for transformation, saying it positions Clear Channel “to lead the sector at this exciting inflection point and build the next generation of digital advertising infrastructure.”

In a further signal of the new ownership’s ambitions, media and technology executive Wade Davis — who partnered with Mubadala and TWG on the transaction — is expected to join Clear Channel as executive chair.

As billboards glow and airport screens flicker, the deal underscores a broader shift: even in the age of streaming and smartphones, the physical canvas of outdoor advertising remains a high-stakes battleground — and investors are betting big on its next chapter.