WWE Sold to Endeavor

Pinkman

I saw a clip of Meltzer saying Vince will be the largest shareholder (19%) of this new UFC/WWE company. How does the deal work? Endeavor own 51% of the company and WWE Shareholders own 49% - does this mean Endeavour only own 51% of WWE too and where does the $9bn come into it? Will Vince or any shareholders receive any of that money or are all the shares just transferred over into the new company?

JP Liz V1

Liberty Media, who own Formula One, were a rival bidder

Agent Coulson

Between Raw, Smackdown, NXT & NXT trainees the WWE has close to 250 contracted wrestlers I wonder how many of these will be future endeavored once the takeover is complete and Endeavour go on there cost cutting.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120466812#Comment_120466812

I wouldn’t worry about it. AEW can pick up the scraps and make them all bigger stars than they were before.

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120466978#Comment_120466978

Can they ? AEW cant sign everyone and their roster is fairly bloated. The grass isn’t always greener as they say. I think I’d the more worried about office staff and legal staff, as I don’t see them wanting duplicate of the same things.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120467012#Comment_120467012

He's being sarcastic.

AEW could sign prime Stone Cold and The Rock tomorrow and his only comment would be something about how **** AEW is.

RobbingBandit

Dana White had to stop himself talking during the post UFC presser on Saturday night there's definitely a or possibly some annual crossover between the two I could see Survivor Series having a few things happen and probably starting next year War Games during Fight Week and Fight Island and The Biannual Saudi events having Wrestling and Cage Fighting at both, there are loads of shoot style potential fights and then the crazy UFC Vs WWE storylines.

But could all be Bullshirt and we might see very little crossover between the two at all but the potential is there. McGregor getting put through a table would be a sight to see.😄😄

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120475703#Comment_120475703

Jesus man not sure what your problem with me is. If you bother to read the wwe threads I actually sh1t on them more than AEW.

I never once said AEW is ****.

Agent Coulson

Interesting this is from 2019 after the murder of  Jamal Khashoggi, I wonder where they stand now on Saudi investment in the WWE.

Talent agency Endeavor returns Saudi Arabia’s $400 million investment

Making good on a pledge to sever ties with Saudi Arabia after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Endeavor talent agency on Friday returned a $400 million investment from the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.

The news, first reported by The New York Times, comes six months after Khashoggi’s death. Endeavor, helmed by Ari Emanuel, announced back in October that it would be extricating itself from a deal with the Saudi government following pressure from Hollywood to stand against the kingdom.

The multimillion dollar deal would have allowed the Saudi government to back entertainment projects at home and abroad and take a 5 to 10 percent stake in Endeavor, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Last year, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, toured America meeting with Hollywood executives, celebrities and producers. The crown prince wanted to become less reliant on oil as the driving force of his kingdom’s economy and to bolster Saudi Arabia’s budding entertainment industry.

However, Khashoggi’s death led to a chorus of international outcry and caused a number of business leaders in the entertainment, tech and transportation industries to suspend talks or sever ties....

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/09/endeavor-returns-400-million-investment-back-to-saudi-arabia.html

Agent Coulson

The takeover is to be completed next month.

The thing I took from this piece is that Endeavour has a $5.11 billion debt to manage.

These media compaines just seem to run on debt.

https://deadline.com/2023/08/endeavor-strike-q2-beat-wall-street-expectations-wwe-ufc-merger-1235457613/

JP Liz V1

Triple H will no longer serve on the board of directors for WWE after the merger

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120963287#Comment_120963287

Does that mean he's gone from the company ???

Agent Coulson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120963310#Comment_120963310

No it means he is now just an employee of the new company TKO Group Holdings.

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120963310#Comment_120963310

Yes he’s still with the company. Dana white isn’t on the new board either.

Cotts72

Hopefully Vince's legal issue at present will remove him from the equation also

Agent Coulson

How long before there are no McMahon's left in the WWE?

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1701246117986349234?s=20

CastorTroy

That is not a good picture. The moustache and dark eyebrows don't help either.

JP Liz V1

Is tonight the last McMahon Raw?

Lord TSC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121099056#Comment_121099056

McMahon owned, sure.

But reports are Vince was running creative last night again. And I'd wager he'll be given freedom to keep doing so going forward too.

J. Marston

"I said darker hair dye, DAMMIT!"

Agent Coulson

It will be interesting now to see how the WWE talent get on with contract negotiations and if they try to play AEW off Endeavor.

Endeavour have shown they are happy to let big names go and not pay them huge money or give into request for health benefits etc.

I can see Endeavor saying off you go then and if that happens Tony probbaly won't have to offer as much either.

With the Saudi's buying into PFL as well it could make things interesting for TKO as well if they start to take UFC talent.

adaminho

My nephew was bought a share on the day he was born a year and a half ago. This arrived in the door this morning!

Agent Coulson

One od the new senior executives of TKO is saying they will be looking at holding both UFC & WWE events on the same weekend and to get Cities to bid for them to do it in there City.

They want to bring TKO tourism to Cities and get the tax benefits from those Cites.

A UFC PPV on a Saturday night and WWE PPV on a Sunday night.

Looks like the end PLE's on Peacock if that's to happen and a return to very expensive PPV's.

Agent Coulson

Nick Khan say he hopes there will be a place in the WWE for *washed up UFC fighers when the figher and the UFC say enough is enough you are done.

*I added the washed up.

ThePott

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121102548#Comment_121102548

Not for another two years at the very least. The Peacock deal was a five year deal starting in 2021.It won't be till after 2025.

I'd be shocked if they ever went back to the expensive PPV model it works for UFC but they never left that model while WWE did years ago.

I doubt the average WWE consumer would ever pay that price for a PPV again (outside of a Mania maybe)

Pentecost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121102516#Comment_121102516

He's not going to be able to understand all that is he?

Agent Coulson

How long before they start to test the waters for having a MEGA co-WWE/UFC PPV Event.

8 matches 4 MMA and 4 Wrestling on the same card.

JP Liz V1

Looks to have had some work done on face and hair

Lord TSC

That’s not Vince, that’s his non-union Mexican equivalent.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121106374#Comment_121106374

AI