Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Diplomacy or Submission? The Zionist Grip on US Political Power and Trump’s Uneasy Alliance With Netanyahu

2 days ago

Fresno Suspect Caught After Jumping Out of Second-Floor Window, 2 Others Arrested

3 days ago

Tesla Has Applied to Arizona for Robotaxi Service Certification, State Transport Department Says

3 days ago

Evacuations Ongoing as San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Scorches Tens of Thousands of Acres

3 days ago

US Senate to Vote on Trump Aid, Broadcasting Cuts as Deadline Looms

3 days ago

US Health Department Widens Immigrant Benefit Restrictions

3 days ago

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect in Stabbing That Left Man Critically Injured

3 days ago

Madera County Authorities Seek Next of Kin for North Fork Man

3 days ago

Froot Loops Maker WK Kellogg Agrees to $3.1 Billion Deal From Italy’s Ferrero

3 days ago

China Signals Willingness to Sell Fighter Jets as Iran Eyes J-10 Aircraft

3 days ago
UFC, WWE Combine to Form $21.4B Sports Entertainment Company
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 2 years ago on
April 3, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

WWE and the company that runs Ultimate Fighting Championship will combine to create a $21.4 billion sports entertainment company.

A new publicly traded company will be formed that houses the UFC and WWE brands, with Endeavor Group Holdings Inc. taking a 51% controlling interest in the new company. Existing WWE shareholders will hold a 49% stake.

The companies put the enterprise value of UFC at $12.1 billion and WWE’s value at $9.3 billion.

The new business, which does not yet have a name, will be lead by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. Vince McMahon, executive chairman at WWE, will serve in the same role at the new company. Dana White will continue as president of UFC and Nick Khan will be president at WWE.

“Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” McMahon said in a prepared statement Monday.

He also provided some idea of where the focus of the new company will be, saying that it will look to maximize the value of combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster their brands.

The announcement arrives after McMahon, the founder and majority shareholder of WWE, returned to the company in January and said that it could be up for sale.

Rumors swirled about who would possibly be interested in buying WWE, with Endeavor, Disney, Fox, Comcast, Amazon and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund all in the mix.

Media industry analysts viewed WWE as an attractive acquisition target given its global reach and loyal fanbase, which includes everyone from minors to seniors and a wide range of incomes.

The company held its marquee event, WrestleMania, over the weekend. Last year, WWE booked revenue of $1.3 billion.

The company is also a social media powerhouse. It surpassed 16 billion social video views in the final quarter of last year. It has nearly 94 million YouTube subscribers and has more than 20 million followers on TikTok. Its female wrestlers comprise five out of the top 15 most followed female athletes in the world, across Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, led by Ronda Rousey with 36.1 million followers.

WWE had more than 7.5 billion digital and social media views in January and February of this year, up 15% from the same time frame a year ago.

Ticker Symbol: TKO

The new company plans to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the “TKO” ticker symbol. Its board will have 11 members, with six being appointed by Endeavor and five being appointed by WWE.

“We like the assets of UFC and also WWE in a world where linear TV is losing market share to streaming, thus live sport content is in high demand,” wrote Jeffries analyst Randal Konik said in a note to clients.

The transaction, which was approved by the boards of Endeavor and WWE, is targeted to close in the second half of the year. It still needs regulatory approval.

Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., based in Stamford, Connecticut, fell more than 8% before the opening bell. Shares of Endeavor, based in Beverly Hills, California, rose nearly 3%.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Online Spending Surges $24.1 Billion as Steep Discounts Boost Sales, Adobe Says

DON'T MISS

Trump Threatens to Revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s US Citizenship

DON'T MISS

Trump Intensifies Trade War With Threat of 30% Tariffs on EU, Mexico

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Attorney General Drops Fraud Case Tied to COVID Vaccinations

DON'T MISS

Homeland Security’s Noem Says in Talks With Five Republican-Led States to Build Detention Site

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Say Teen Changed Clothes, Hid After Reckless Riding Pursuit

DON'T MISS

Gaza Truce Talks Faltering Over Withdrawal, 17 Reported Killed in Latest Shooting Near Aid

DON'T MISS

Fresno Dog Left Behind After Owners Die Months Apart, Now Needs a Home

DON'T MISS

Frazier Defends $894K Pay as Nonprofit Loses $1.1M, Blames City for Financial Struggles

DON'T MISS

Key Events in the Air India Crash Investigation

UP NEXT

Musk’s xAI Seeks up to $200 Billion Valuation in Next Fundraising, FT Reports

UP NEXT

Kraft Heinz Is Planning a Breakup, WSJ Reports

UP NEXT

Goldman Sachs Appoints Ben Wallace as M&A Co-Head for Americas

UP NEXT

Indeed, Glassdoor to Cut 1,300 Jobs Amid AI Integration, Memo Shows

UP NEXT

US Singer Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty to Lesser Assault Charge in UK Court

UP NEXT

Wonderful Co. Has a New Face Promoting Pistachios: MVP Josh Allen

UP NEXT

Froot Loops Maker WK Kellogg Agrees to $3.1 Billion Deal From Italy’s Ferrero

UP NEXT

Walmart Recalls Ozark Trail Bottles After Three Reported Injuries, US Agency Says

UP NEXT

Blackstone Businesses Demand Fresno Homeless Orgs Stop Drop-Offs on Private Property

UP NEXT

Uber Named Official Rideshare, Delivery Partner for Los Angeles Games

Trump’s Attorney General Drops Fraud Case Tied to COVID Vaccinations

20 hours ago

Homeland Security’s Noem Says in Talks With Five Republican-Led States to Build Detention Site

20 hours ago

Clovis Police Say Teen Changed Clothes, Hid After Reckless Riding Pursuit

20 hours ago

Gaza Truce Talks Faltering Over Withdrawal, 17 Reported Killed in Latest Shooting Near Aid

20 hours ago

Fresno Dog Left Behind After Owners Die Months Apart, Now Needs a Home

1 day ago

Frazier Defends $894K Pay as Nonprofit Loses $1.1M, Blames City for Financial Struggles

2 days ago

Key Events in the Air India Crash Investigation

2 days ago

Fresno Police to Target Speeding in Saturday Traffic Operation

2 days ago

Tulare County Man Sentenced for Fatal DUI Crash That Took Mother, Daughter’s Lives

2 days ago

US Judge Grants Trump Admin Request to Scrap Biden-Era Medical Debt Rule

2 days ago

US Online Spending Surges $24.1 Billion as Steep Discounts Boost Sales, Adobe Says

Online spending soared $24.1 billion across U.S. retailers during the stretch from July 8 to 11 – dubbed “Black Friday in Summer”...

20 hours ago

Packages are transported on a conveyor belt at the Amazon warehouse on Prime Day, in Melville, New York, U.S., July 11, 2023. (Reuters File)
20 hours ago

US Online Spending Surges $24.1 Billion as Steep Discounts Boost Sales, Adobe Says

Presenter Rosie O'Donnell speaks on stage about Madonna during the 30th annual GLAAD awards ceremony in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2019. (Reuters File)
20 hours ago

Trump Threatens to Revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s US Citizenship

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures to the U.S. flag flying on a new flagpole after stepping off Marine One returning from New Jersey at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 6, 2025. (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)
20 hours ago

Trump Intensifies Trade War With Threat of 30% Tariffs on EU, Mexico

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks to the media in the Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington D.C., June 27, 2025. (Reuters File)
20 hours ago

Trump’s Attorney General Drops Fraud Case Tied to COVID Vaccinations

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference to discuss the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s "National Farm Security Action Plan", outside the USDA in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 8, 2025. (Reuters File)
20 hours ago

Homeland Security’s Noem Says in Talks With Five Republican-Led States to Build Detention Site

20 hours ago

Clovis Police Say Teen Changed Clothes, Hid After Reckless Riding Pursuit

A Palestinian man from the Katoo family, with his son, mourns beside the body of his other son, who was killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid near a distribution point in Rafah, according to medics, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, July 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
20 hours ago

Gaza Truce Talks Faltering Over Withdrawal, 17 Reported Killed in Latest Shooting Near Aid

After losing both of his owners, a 5-year-old cattle dog named Ozzy found a second chance at happiness thanks to a local rescue group and a loving foster home. (Mell's Mutts)
1 day ago

Fresno Dog Left Behind After Owners Die Months Apart, Now Needs a Home

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend