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WWE Officially Sold To Endeavor In $21 Billion Deal

By Lyle Kilbane • Published 3rd April 2023
Endeavor WWE UFC logos

Ever since Vince McMahon made his comeback to WWE, it has been expected that the company would be sold, and now it has.

The Endeavor Group officially announced on the morning of the 3rd of April 2023 that it had agreed a $21 billion deal to form a new company that will encompass both UFC and WWE in the biggest shake-up in the wrestling world in decades.

In a press release touting the deal, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel – who will also serve as CEO of the new parent company of UFC and WWE – expressed his belief that the merger can provide more value for shareholders:

“This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pureplay built for where the industry is headed. For decades, Vince and his team have demonstrated an incredible track record of innovation and shareholder value creation, and we are confident that Endeavor can deliver significant additional value for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together.”

WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon, who will continue in that role in the new company, touted his belief that the deal can take the company to even greater heights:

“Given the incredible work that Ari and Endeavor have done to grow the UFC brand – nearly doubling its revenue over the past seven years – and the immense success we’ve already had in partnering with their team on a number of ventures, I believe that this is without a doubt the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders.”

“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. The new company will be well positioned to maximize the value of our combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster our strong stable of brands. I, along with the current WWE management team, look forward to working closely with Ari and the Endeavor and UFC teams to take the businesses to the next level.”

WWE CEO Nick Khan will become President of the brand and Dana White will continue in his role as UFC President. A Board of Directors of the new company will be formed with Endeavor appointing six directors while WWE will appoint five.

The deal also gives UFC a higher value than that of WWE with the MMA organisation valued at $12.1 billion with WWE valued at $9.3 billion. The new company will run under the TKO ticker on the New York Stock Exchange and will be known as NewCo until it is named.