Two of the biggest entities in combat sports and entertainment have agreed to join forces, as the UCF and WWE are set to combine in to one powerhouse company.
A new publicly traded company (which has yet to be named, but will be traded under the symbol “TKO”) will be the joint forces of the two previously separate entities. American holdings company Endeavor and the UFC will own 51%, while the WWE will be given the remaining 49% stake.
UFC And WWE To Merge Into $21B Company
WWE and the company that runs the UFC will combine to create a $21.4B sports entertainment company.
More ⤵️ https://t.co/hb6VuBeh35
— ESPN (@espn) April 3, 2023
All of the standing presidents and leaders of the organizations will remain in place, including Dana White, Nick Kahn, and Vince McMahon.
The combining of forces is one of the biggest sports mergers in recent memory. The UFC was valued at $12.1 billion after its rise to prominence over the last 20 years, and the WWE is worth a pretty penny itself, coming in with a valuation of $9.3 billion. This would make the new company worth well over $21 billion.
“Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fan base of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” McMahon said in a press release on Monday.
WWE Has Massive Social Media Following
Today, @Endeavor announced it has signed an agreement to form a $21+ billion global live sports and entertainment company made up of @UFC and @WWE. https://t.co/lPrkBmKJXm pic.twitter.com/ZBk95c5exU
— Endeavor (@Endeavor) April 3, 2023
The involvement of Endeavor comes after the consideration of other companies that had interest in purchasing the WWE. Disney, Fox, and Amazon were all rumored to be interested parties.
While we have seen the surge of popularity with the UFC, WWE and wrestling have been a mainstay for even longer. They have a loyal fan base, and a huge social media following, with nearly 16 billion video views across their platforms during the final three months of 2022. Five of the fifteen most followed female athletes across the world are WWE wrestlers.
McMahon went on to talk about what the areas of focus of the new company will be, including new content, enhancement of sponsorship monetization, and pursue other strategic mergers.
The deal is expected to be completed and finalized during the second half of 2023.
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