Latest in WWE

A new multi-year partnership will see the WWE SmackDown return to USA Network on Sept 13. The show was originally slated to move back to USA in October, but the date has been bumped up. WWE, part of the newly created TKO Group, and NBCUniversal have agreed to a five-year domestic media rights deal…

TKO Group Holdings posted better-than-anticipated revenue but saw a March antitrust settlement with UFC fighters squeeze its bottom line. The company, formed through the merger of WWE and UFC last September, is run by Endeavor Group Holdings. Endeavor recently unveiled a plan to go private, which…

WWE’s Monday Night Raw franchise will stay on USA Network through the end of 2024 under an extended rights agreement between the wrestling circuit and NBCUniversal. TKO Group Holdings, which owns WWE, announced the mini-extension Wednesday along with its first-quarter results. NBCU paid $25 million…

The WWE has declined to renew its contract with Hall of Fame wrestler and broadcaster Jerry “The King” Lawler. Lawler joined the WWF (which later became the WWE) as a commentator in 1992, working on Superstars. In the early ’90s, he defeated Bret Hart and was named “Undisputed King of the World…

Ari Emanuel, CEO of TKO Group as well as the soon-to-be-private Endeavor, saw a pay package valued at $64.9 million in 2023 as CE0 of TKO Group, the home of WWE and UFC. TKO is a relatively new company that started trading on the New York Stock Exchange last September. Emanuel’s compensation included…

More of former TKO Group Executive Chairman Vince McMahon’s large stake in the company is changing hands, with Endeavor and TKO agreeing to buy a combined $311.2 million of his stock. In an SEC filing, Endeavor Group said it would buy shares worth about $146.2 million. TKO Group Holdings, which…

The WWE comes to Philadelphia tonight and tomorrow with The Rock, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins ready for battle. Reigns and The Rock will team against Rhodes and Rollins in Saturday’s marquee match. The Bloodline may be banned entirely from Sunday’s main event, depending on which team…

EXCLUSIVE: WWE is locking in its heavyweight status ahead of WrestleMania. With Friday Night SmackDown leading the charge, the company has seen some solid audience increases during the first quarter of 2024. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s surely added fuel to the fire, as SmackDown is averaging…

The Rock has been heating things up for WWE. Since Dwayne Johnson returned to the ring in January, Friday Night SmackDown has seen some significant audience growth. The average demo audience for the first quarter of 2024 has been around 900,000 viewers. That’s up about 16% versus last year’s…

It’s official. The U.S. government has decreed that there’s only one person who can legally use “The Rock” in commerce, and that’s Dwayne Johnson. An SEC filing by TKO, the parent of the WWE, indicates Johnson has joined its board of directors. The paperwork also shows Johnson now legally holds the…

UPDATED with call: Endeavor opted not to take questions on a call with analysts after quarterly earnings today, citing a strategic review process announced last fall. CEO Ari Emanuel said the process is ongoing to "maximize value for our shareholders" and the company “will provide an update when…

TKO Group Holdings exec Mark Shapiro said the company is “on the sideline” waiting to see if former Executive Chairman Vince McMahon will sell any more of his massive stock holding in the company. Shapiro, who is president and COO of TKO and holds the same title at its majority owner, Endeavor Group…