WW International extends Oprah Winfrey deal to 2025, shares rise

WW International, formerly known as Weight Watchers, just got another nod from billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

WW International announced Monday its partnership with Winfrey is being extended into 2025, a collaboration that has rallied the stock nearly 450%.

“I believe in WW’s mission and the power of its program to create positive, lasting change for everyone who wants a partner to help support them in pursuing a stronger, healthier life,” said Winfrey in a company press release.

Shares of WW popped 1.5% on Monday.

Winfrey first partnered with Weight Watchers in October of 2015, when she bought 6.4 million shares at $6.79 a share, worth $43.2 million at the time, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The stock has rocketed nearly 450% since then and trades around $38 per share. Winfrey has since sold some of those shares but holds 5.4 million shares, about 8% of the company, according to Factset.

Winfrey’s net worth was estimated to be about $4 billion last year, by Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.

“Oprah and WW are fully aligned on the opportunity for WW to lead in the democratization of wellness, making a positive impact on the health and wellness of society as a whole,” said WW President and CEO Mindy Grossman.

With the renewed partnership, Winfrey is given the option to purchase about 3.3 million WW shares, about 4.3% of the company’s common stock on a fully diluted basis. If she purchases the shares, the company will record a one-time charge in the second quarter of 2020.

Winfrey will continued to provide insights to WW on “consumer motivation, community activation, creative strategy and the overall consumer experience” through April 2023, and will continue to serve as a key advisor to the company through May 2025.

Shares of WW are flat for the year.