TKO Group Holdings

Last updated

TKO Group Holdings, Inc.
TKO
Company type Public
Industry
Predecessors World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
Zuffa, LLC
FoundedSeptember 12, 2023;15 months ago (2023-09-12)
Founders
Headquarters 200 Fifth Avenue,
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Products
  • Broadcasting
  • Films
  • Finance
  • Home video
  • Live events
  • Merchandise
  • Music
  • Publishing
  • Streaming network service
  • Television
Brands
Services Licensing
RevenueIncrease2.svgUS$1.67 billion (2023) [1]
Decrease2.svgUS$447 million (2023) [1]
Decrease2.svgUS$176 million (2023) [1]
Total assets Increase2.svgUS$12.7 billion (2023) [1]
Total equity Increase2.svgUS$8.84 billion (2023) [1]
Owner Endeavor (51%)
WWE shareholders (49%) [a]
Number of employees
c. 1,250 (2023)
Subsidiaries
Website tkogrp.com
Footnotes /references
[8]

TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) is an American media conglomerate created by Endeavor as part of a merger between World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) and Zuffa, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). [9] Following the completion of the merger on September 12, 2023, both WWE and UFC operate as divisions under the banner of TKO. [10]

Contents

The merger marked the first time that WWE has not been solely and primarily majority-controlled by the McMahon family, which founded the company and owned it for over 70 years. [11] This marked the third time that the UFC has changed ownership as its parent company Zuffa had been sold to Endeavor in 2016. [12] Zuffa had previously purchased the UFC from the Semaphore Entertainment Group in 2001.

Endeavor chief executive officer (CEO) Ari Emanuel is the CEO of TKO and Mark Shapiro serves as president and chief operating officer. Nick Khan became the president of WWE post-merger and Dana White has since served as CEO of the UFC. [13] [14]

As of 2024 the UFC and WWE are the two most valuable combat sports promotions according to Forbes. With the UFC being the most valued MMA promotion having a value of $11.3 billion and a revenue of $1.29 billion in 2023, and WWE being the most valued professional wrestling promotion with a value of $6.8 billion and revenue of $1.33 billion in 2023. [15]

Background

Vince McMahon, a third-generation wrestling promoter and co-founder of Titan Sports, Inc., originally served as Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings. Vince McMahon 2.jpg
Vince McMahon, a third-generation wrestling promoter and co-founder of Titan Sports, Inc., originally served as Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings.

Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, WWE was founded in 1953 as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), a Northeastern territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). [16] The CWC was run by Vincent J. McMahon, son of boxing and wrestling promoter Jess McMahon. Following a booking dispute over CWC wrestler Buddy Rogers and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the CWC left the NWA and became the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in January 1963, and, by April 25, 1963, Rogers was declared the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion. The WWWF was renamed to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979; the WWF made its final departure from the NWA in 1983. The current legal entity, which was originally named Titan Sports, Inc., was incorporated on February 21, 1980, in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, but reincorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law in 1987. Titan Sports was co-founded by Vince McMahon, Vincent J.'s son, and his wife Linda. It acquired Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd., the holding company for the WWF, in 1982. After buying the WWF, Vince McMahon expanded the promotion by overturning the NWA's territory system and holding events around the United States and the world which were televised on a global basis. Throughout the 1980s WWF begun to capitalize on the popularity of rising star Hulk Hogan after he defeated The Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden on January 23, 1984 to capture the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. On March 31, 1985 WWF held the first WrestleMania, which would go on to become WWF's flagship event. Initially broadcast on closed-circuit television, WrestleMania became a pay-per-view the following year, [17] as WWF expanded its pay-per-view offerings and became known as a pioneer for the relatively new distribution format. [18] In January 1993, WWF introduced its live, weekly episodic television show, Monday Night Raw . [19] WWF became a publicly traded company in August of 1999, launching an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. [20] The company's status as the world's premier professional wrestling organization was cemented by its acquisition of the assets of World Championship Wrestling in 2001 following the Monday Night War. Titan Sports was renamed World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. in 1999, and then World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. in 2002 after a legal dispute with the World Wildlife Fund. Since 2011, the company has branded itself solely with the initials WWE, though the legal name did not change at the time. [21] WWE's majority owner was its executive chairman, third-generation wrestling promoter Vince McMahon, who retained a 38.6% ownership of the company's outstanding stock and 81.1% of the voting power before the merger. The closure of the merger saw McMahon's voting power and stock ownership dramatically decrease.

Ari Emanuel, the CEO and Executive Chair of TKO Group Holdings. Ari Emanuel (27449561892) (2).jpg
Ari Emanuel, the CEO and Executive Chair of TKO Group Holdings.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), initially under the ownership of the Semaphore Entertainment Group, was founded by American businessman Art Davie and Brazilian martial artist Rorion Gracie with their partners in WOW Promotions. [22] [23] The first UFC event was held in November 12, 1993 at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. [24] The purpose of the early ultimate fighting competitions was to identify the most effective martial art in a contest with minimal rules and no weight classes between competitors of different fighting disciplines. In subsequent events, more rigorous rules were created and fighters began adopting effective techniques from more than one discipline, which indirectly helped create a separate style of fighting known as present-day mixed martial arts (MMA). In April 1995, following UFC 5, Davie and Gracie sold their remaining interest in the UFC to the Semaphore Entertainment Group and disbanded WOW Promotions. [25] Six years later in 2001, Zuffa, a sports promotion company headed by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, purchased the UFC from the Semaphore Entertainment Group. Zuffa's ownership led to a growth period for the company and the sport of MMA in general; the UFC's global leadership in the sport led to Zuffa buying the assets of the Pride Fighting Championships in 2007 and the Strikeforce promotion in 2011 (among other MMA promotions). In 2016, Zuffa was sold to a group led by Endeavor, then known as William Morris Endeavor (WME–IMG), including Silver Lake Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and MSD Capital [26] for US$4.025 billion. [27] In 2017, WME–IMG changed its holding name to Endeavor and four years later, in 2021, Endeavor bought out Zuffa's other owners at a valuation of $1.7 billion.

History

WWE's preparations for a sale

On June 17, 2022, amid allegations of misconduct, Vince McMahon stepped down as the chairman and CEO of WWE, leaving the company to his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan. In January 2023, Vince stated his intention to return to WWE ahead of media rights negotiations. WWE's media rights with Fox and USA Network were set to expire in 2024. [28] That same month, JPMorgan were hired to handle a possible sale of the company, with rumored suitors having included Comcast and Fox Corporation (owners of WWE's broadcast partners USA Network and Fox), The Walt Disney Company (owners of ESPN), Warner Bros. Discovery (media partners of All Elite Wrestling), Netflix, Amazon, Endeavor (WWE had an existing business relationship with its subsidiary Endeavor Streaming, which took over the technical operations of its streaming service WWE Network in 2019), Liberty Media, Creative Artists Agency, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (WWE has a long-term agreement with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Sport to promote events in the country). [29] [30]

On January 10, 2023, Stephanie McMahon resigned as WWE's chairwoman and co-CEO, after which Vince McMahon assumed the role of executive chairman of WWE while Nick Khan became the sole CEO. [31]

Formation

In September 2023, Endeavor Group Holdings, UFC and WWE formed a new publicly traded company, TKO Group Holdings, Inc. The new entity went public on September 12, 2023 and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol "TKO". [32] [33]

At the close of the deal, Endeavor held a 51% stake in TKO Group Holdings, with WWE's shareholders having a 49% stake, valuing WWE at $9.1 billion. [32] [33] This marked the first time that WWE had not been majority-controlled by members of the McMahon family. [34] Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel became CEO of TKO and Mark Shapiro became president and chief operating officer, with each maintaining their respective roles at Endeavor. UFC and WWE continued to operate as separate divisions under TKO, with Dana White as CEO of the UFC and Nick Khan serving as president of WWE post-merger. [14] [35] [36] WWE's head of creative Paul Levesque remained in his role. [37]

When the merger was first announced in April 2023, Emanuel stated that it would "bring together two leading pureplay sports and entertainment companies" and provide "significant operating synergies". [33] McMahon stated that "family businesses have to evolve for all the right reasons", [32] and that "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." [33]

The merger closed on September 12, 2023; [38] [33] with Vince McMahon personally owning approximately one-third of the Class A Common Stock of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. [39] The first television show produced under the TKO banner was the September 12 episode of WWE NXT . [40] Following the merger, Dana White was made CEO of UFC. [41]

In January 2024, a lawsuit was filed by Janel Grant, a former employee at WWE headquarters between 2019 and 2022 against WWE as well as TKO (by proxy of ownership). Grant alleged that the then current TKO Executive Chairman Vince McMahon, had coerced her into a sexual relationship, and, along with WWE executive John Laurinaitis and a WWE wrestler who was also a former UFC fighter, [b] sexually trafficked her and repeatedly sexually assaulted her between 2020–2021. Grant alleged that she was subjected to "extreme cruelty and degradation" by McMahon, including being defecated upon during a sexual encounter. Grant stated that McMahon had agreed to pay her $3 million in 2022 in return for a NDA, but stopped paying after only $1 million had been paid following the initial public emergence of the sexual misconduct allegations the same year. [42] Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed McMahon, and have taken up the filing in question. One day after the report – on January 26, 2024 – Vince McMahon resigned from TKO. In a statement, McMahon said the decision was made "out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees". [43] [44] [45] [46]

Further investments and acquisitions

In July 2024, TKO Group announced an investment in EverPass Media, an NFL-backed distributor of streaming pay television content to commercial establishments. Shapiro joined the company's board of directors. [47] [48]

On October 23, 2024, it was announced that TKO Group would acquire several businesses from Endeavor, including sports and event management firm IMG (aside from "businesses associated with the IMG brand in licensing, models, and tennis representation, nor IMG's full events portfolio"), On Location Experiences (a luxury hospitality agency focused on major sporting events), and Professional Bull Riders (PBR), for $3.25 billion in an all-stock deal expected to close in 2025. Shapiro stated that Silver Lake Partners had requested the divestment of certain Endeavor assets as part of its planned buyout of the company, and that Endeavor had approached TKO Group with an offer. He explained that TKO was interested in league ownership and "businesses that can power our current sports ecosystem", while the company stated that it would "[expand] TKO's operational footprint in the fast-growing premium sports market and enables direct participation in the upside from partner leagues and events." Under the terms of the deal, Endeavor will own 59% of TKO and the remaining shareholders will control the other 41%. [49] [50]

Corporate governance

The board of directors of TKO Group Holdings consists of thirteen members, six representing WWE and seven representing Endeavor. On January 23, 2024, the TKO board of directors would be increased from 11 members to 13 members. [51] Following this, WWE underwent some changes, which included broadcast deals with different partners (including Netflix) and giving up ownership of Dwayne Johnson's trademarked name "The Rock" to Johnson, who would also join TKO's board of directors. [52] [51] There is currently one vacancy due to former Executive Chairman Vince McMahon’s resignation on January 26, 2024 following sex trafficking and sexual assault allegations involving a former WWE employee. [53] [51] [54]

Board of Directors
NameRepresentativeRole
Ari Emanuel EndeavorCEO and Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings
Egon DurbanEndeavorCo-CEO of Silver Lake Management
Nick Khan WWEPresident of WWE
Steve Koonin WWELead Independent Director
CEO of Atlanta Hawks
Jonathan Kraft EndeavorPresident of the Kraft Group and the New England Patriots
Sonya Medina WilliamsEndeavorPresident and Executive Director for Reach Resilience
Mark Shapiro EndeavorPresident and COO of TKO Group Holdings
Carrie A. WheelerWWECEO of Opendoor
Nancy Tellem EndeavorChief Media Officer of Eko
Peter Bynoe WWESenior Advisor of DLA Piper
Dwayne Johnson WWECo-owner of United Football League
Part-time WWE wrestler
Brad Keywell EndeavorExecutive Chairman of Uptake Technologies

Assets

Notes

  1. ↑ At the close of the deal, WWE's shareholders owned 49% of the company. Vince McMahon owns 9.941% of the company, with a 4.7% voting interest. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
  2. ↑ The WWE/UFC talent in question was not named in the lawsuit, but was believed to be by The Wall Street Journal as Brock Lesnar.
  3. ↑ At the close of the merger, all Zuffa assets (including the UFC) were transferred to a subsidiary, named: TKO Operating Company, LLC. [55]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE</span> American professional wrestling and entertainment company

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into fields outside of wrestling, including film, football, and various other business ventures. The company is additionally involved in licensing its intellectual property to other companies to produce video games and action figures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimate Fighting Championship</span> American mixed martial arts promotion company

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA promotion in the world as of 2023. It produces events worldwide that showcase 11 weight divisions and abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. As of 2024, it had held over 700 events. Dana White has been its president since 2001 and CEO since 2023. Under White's stewardship, it has grown into a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie McMahon</span> American professional wrestler (born 1976)

Stephanie Marie McMahon Levesque is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is known for her various roles within WWE between 1998 and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince McMahon</span> American professional wrestling promoter (born 1945)

Vincent Kennedy McMahon is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Outside of professional wrestling McMahon has occasionally ventured into promoting other sports; his projects have included the World Bodybuilding Federation and the XFL football league. He is the owner of Alpha Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane McMahon</span> American professional wrestler, producer, and businessman

Shane Brandon McMahon is an American businessman and professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitol Wrestling Corporation</span> American professional wrestling promotion

Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was an American sports promotion company. Run by Vincent J. McMahon from the 1950s until the 1980s, the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing promotion and later became the holding company for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). In 1982, the CWC was acquired by Titan Sports, Inc., owned by Vincent J.'s son Vincent K. McMahon. The CWC was the precursor to today's WWE, currently run by Nick Khan as president and owned by TKO Group Holdings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania X-Seven</span> 2001 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania X-Seven was the 17th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It took place on April 1, 2001, at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas. Twelve matches were contested at the event, including one broadcast exclusively on the Sunday Night Heat pre-show.

The Corporate Ministry was a stable in the World Wrestling Federation in late spring and summer of 1999 during the Attitude Era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana White</span> American businessman (born 1969)

Dana Frederick White Jr. is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. He is also the owner of Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 million.

This list brings together authority figures—people who hold on-screen power—in professional wrestling promotions or brands within North America. The North American wrestling industry portrays authority figures as responsible for making matches, providing rules and generally keeping law and order both in and outside the ring. The role can vary according to disposition as a face authority figure tends to give what the fans want and does what is fair while a heel authority figures tend to run their shows out of their own self-interest.

The McMahon family is an Irish-American family known for their ownership of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Vince McMahon, a third-generation wrestling promoter, was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WWE from 1982 until 2023. Shane McMahon is a fourth generation wrestling promoter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of WWE</span>

The history of American professional wrestling promotion WWE dates back to the early 1950s when it was founded on January 7, 1953 as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC). The public branding of the company has undergone several name changes throughout the years, from the CWC to the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1963, then the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979, and to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002. Since 2011, it has branded itself solely as WWE. On September 12, 2023, Endeavor, the parent company of mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship, and WWE merged the two companies into a new parent company, TKO Group Holdings. WWE and UFC continue to operate as separate divisions of the company with WWE focusing on professional wrestling and UFC focusing on mixed martial arts. In 2023, WWE's legal name was changed to World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC, though the branded name remained WWE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional wrestling in the United States</span>

Professional wrestling in the United States, through the advent of television in the 1950s, and cable in the 1980s, began appearing in powerful media outlets, reaching never before seen numbers of viewers. It became an international phenomenon with the expansion of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Throughout the 1990s, professional wrestling achieved highs in both viewers and financial success during a time of fierce competition among competing promotions, such as WWF, World Championship Wrestling, and Extreme Championship Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zuffa</span> American sports promotion company (2001–2023)

Zuffa was an American sports promotion company specializing in mixed martial arts. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Station Casinos executives Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta to be the parent entity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after they purchased it from the Semaphore Entertainment Group.

Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. is an American holding company for talent and media agencies with its primary offices in Beverly Hills, California. The company was founded in April 2009 after the merger of the William Morris Agency and Endeavor Talent Agency. Endeavor represents artists in film, television, music, theater, digital media, and publishing. It also represents the NFL and NHL. Endeavor is majority owner of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) through TKO Group. In collegiate athletics Endeavor-Learfield IMG represents The American, A10, Big 12, Conference USA, Horizon League, MAC, MEAC, OVC, SEC and WCC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titan Towers</span> Former headquarters of American professional wrestling promotion WWE

Titan Towers is an office building located in Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It served as the global headquarters for the American professional wrestling and entertainment company WWE from 1991 to 2023. WWE, a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings (TKO), later moved their global headquarters to Washington Boulevard in Stamford, with TKO establishing its headquarters in New York City.

<i>United States v. McMahon</i> 1994 criminal court case

United States v. McMahon et al (9:93-cr-01276) is a 1994 United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York criminal court case brought against Vince McMahon, chairman of the World Wrestling Federation on suspicion of supplying illegal anabolic steroids to his professional wrestlers. The jury found McMahon not guilty on July 23, 1994.

Nicholas Khan is an American business executive and former talent agent. He serves as the President of WWE and sits on TKO's board of directors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince McMahon sex trafficking scandal</span> Sex scandal allegation on Vince McMahon

The Vince McMahon sex trafficking scandal is an ongoing scandal regarding professional wrestling promoter Vince McMahon, long-time owner of WWE, and allegations by a former WWE employee that McMahon sexually trafficked and assaulted her at WWE's corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

<i>Mr. McMahon</i> (miniseries) 2024 documentary series by Chris Smith and Bill Simmons

Mr. McMahon is a documentary television miniseries that explores the influential yet controversial career of the professional wrestling promoter Vince McMahon. It is directed by Chris Smith, who worked on Tiger King, with executive producer Bill Simmons and Zara Duffy, recognized for her contributions to Mission Blue. The documentary series featured numerous prominent figures from the world of professional wrestling, including Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Paul Heyman, Bret Hart, Eric Bischoff, Shane McMahon, and Stephanie McMahon. It also included media personalities such as businesswoman Kay Koplovitz, professional wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer and other key individuals, providing a wide range of perspectives on McMahon's career and legacy. This is the first extensive documentary series focusing on McMahon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "TKO Reports Full Year 2023 Results" (PDF). TKO Group Holdings, Inc. February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  2. ↑ "SCHEDULE 14C INFORMATION". NASDAQ. August 22, 2023. p. 248. Retrieved August 25, 2023. Mr. McMahon is expected to have beneficial ownership of approximately 28,752,105 shares of New PubCo Class A common stock representing approximately... 17% of the voting power...and approximately 34% of the economic interests...
  3. ↑ "STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES" (PDF). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  4. ↑ "STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES" (PDF). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  5. ↑ "STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP" (PDF). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  6. ↑ "STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP" (PDF). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  7. ↑ "TKO Group Holdings, Inc.: Shareholders Board Members Managers and Company Profile | US87256C1018 | MarketScreener". www.marketscreener.com. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  8. ↑ "2023 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 27, 2024.
  9. ↑ "SEC-Show". otp.tools.investis.com. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Endeavor and WWE® Deal to Create TKO Group Holdings Expected to Close September 12". Business Wire . September 7, 2023. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  11. ↑ Sherman, Alex (April 2, 2023). "WWE near deal to be sold to UFC parent Endeavor, sources say". CNBC . Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  12. ↑ "U.F.C. Sells Itself for $4 Billion". The New York Times . July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  13. ↑ Mullin, Benjamin (April 3, 2023). "Endeavor and W.W.E. Join Forces to Create Live-Combat Tag Team". The New York Times . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Group, T. K. O. (September 5, 2023). "Endeavor Announces Close of UFC® And WWE® Transaction to Create TKO Group Holdings, a Premier Sports and Entertainment Company". TKO Group Holdings, Inc.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ↑ Teitelbaum, Justin. "The Most Valuable Combat Sports Promotions 2024". Forbes. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  16. ↑ "New WWE Stamford headquarters opening scheduled for early 2023" . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  17. ↑ "A Look at WWE Pay-Per-View Changes". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Pro Wrestling a Pioneer in Pay-Per-View Game". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  19. ↑ "The WWE Universe Creates Wild Fan Films To Honor 30 Years of Monday Night RAW". USA Network. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  20. ↑ "WWF pins IPO". CNN. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  21. ↑ Sacco, Justine; Weitz, Michael (April 7, 2011). "The New WWE" (Press release). Connecticut: WWE. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  22. ↑ Gentry III, Clyde, No Holds Barred: Evolution, Archon Publishing, 2001, 1st ed., ISBN   0-9711479-0-6, pages 24–29.
  23. ↑ "Royce Gracie's Legacy, BJJ's Relevance on the Decline in Modern MMA". Bleacher Report. April 27, 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  24. ↑ Stefano, Dan (June 25, 2009). "Former UFC champ helps promote Pittsburgh event". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on July 1, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2009.
  25. ↑ Bare Knuckle News (August 21, 2019). Art Davie on His Decision to Sell His Stake in the UFC – via YouTube.
  26. ↑ de la Merced, Michael (July 11, 2016). "U.F.C. Sells Itself for $4 Billion". The New York Times . Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  27. ↑ Rooney, Kyle (September 30, 2016). "UFC sold to WME-IMG". HNHH. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  28. ↑ Coppinger, Mike (January 6, 2023). "Vince McMahon back at WWE ahead of media rights negotiations". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  29. ↑ Sherman, Alex (January 7, 2023). "Vince McMahon is back at WWE to ensure a smooth sale process. Here's who might want to buy it". CNBC. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  30. ↑ Mcharthy, Michael; Perez, A.J (January 6, 2023). "Saudi Public Investment Fund Could Bid On WWE". Front Office Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  31. ↑ "WWE Board of Directors unanimously elects Vince McMahon executive Chairman of the board". WWE. January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  32. 1 2 3 Sherman, Alex (April 3, 2023). "WWE agrees to merge with UFC to create a new company run by Ari Emanuel and Vince McMahon". CNBC. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 Szalai, Georg; Vlessing, Etan (April 3, 2023). "Endeavor's UFC, WWE to Merge; Ari Emanuel to Serve as CEO, Vince McMahon as Executive Chair". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  34. ↑ Sherman, Alex (April 2, 2023). "WWE near deal to be sold to UFC parent Endeavor, sources say". CNBC. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  35. ↑ Burack, Bobby (April 3, 2023). "WWE CEO NICK KHAN TALKS WWE/UFC MERGER". OutKick . Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  36. ↑ PWMania (May 3, 2023). "Nick Khan And Triple H Discuss WWE – Endeavor". PWMania. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Vince McMahon: I will remain involved in WWE creative at a 'higher level'". Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online. April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  38. ↑ "NEW WHALE INC.* WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT, INC". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  39. ↑ "SCHEDULE 14C INFORMATION". NASDAQ. August 22, 2023. p. 248. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  40. ↑ "WWE NXT results, Sept. 12, 2023: Becky Lynch dethrones Tiffany Stratton to become the new NXT Women's Champion". WWE . September 12, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  41. ↑ https://www.si.com/fannation/mma/ufc-ceo-dana-white-compliments-combat-sports-art
  42. ↑ Safdar, Khadeeja (January 25, 2024). "Vince McMahon Accused of Sex Trafficking by WWE Staffer He Paid to Keep Quiet". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  43. ↑ Patten, Dominic (January 26, 2024). "Vince McMahon Resigns From Endeavor-Owned Sports Group After Horrific Rape & Sex Trafficking Claims". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  44. ↑ "Vince McMahon resigns from roles with WWE, TKO Group amid sexual assault and trafficking allegations". CBSSports.com. January 27, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  45. ↑ Draper, Kevin (January 27, 2024). "Vince McMahon Cuts W.W.E. Ties After Sex Trafficking Accusation". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  46. ↑ "McMahon resigns from TKO following allegations". ESPN. January 27, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  47. ↑ Hayes, Dade (July 2, 2024). "UFC & WWE Parent TKO Group Invests In EverPass Media, A Distributor Of NFL Sunday Ticket And Other Sports Properties To Commercial Businesses". Deadline. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  48. ↑ Winslow, George (July 2, 2024). "EverPass Media Acquires UPshow". TVTechnology. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  49. ↑ Sherman, Alex (October 24, 2024). "TKO Group to acquire IMG, Professional Bull Riders and On Location from Endeavor for $3.25 billion". CNBC. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  50. ↑ Spangler, Todd (October 24, 2024). "TKO Group Will Acquire PBR, IMG and On Location From Majority Owner Endeavor in $3.25 Billion Deal". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  51. 1 2 3 "TKO Appoints Dwayne Johnson to Board of Directors". TKO Group Holdings. January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  52. ↑ "TKO CEO Ari Emanuel: Netflix deal strengthens the WWE brand 'on a global basis'". CNBC. January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  53. ↑ Thompson, Andrew (August 10, 2023). "Board members revealed for TKO Group Holdings". Post Wrestling. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  54. ↑ Patten, Dominic (January 27, 2024). "Vince McMahon Resigns From Endeavor-Owned Sports Group After Horrific Rape & Sex Trafficking Claims". Deadline. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  55. ↑ {{cite web |title=SCHEDULE 14C INFORMATION |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1973266/000197326624000013/tko-20240331x10q.htm |publisher=UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION |access-date=March 31, 2024 |date=March 31, 2024|
  56. ↑ "SEC Filings: Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership" (PDF). investor.tkogrp.com/. December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.