Netflix to Become New Home of WWE Raw Beginning 2025

WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly program – Raw – to the world’s leading entertainment service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago.

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025.

“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”

“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members. Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”

“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base.” 

With 1,600 episodes to date, Raw is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, Raw has delivered action, compelling drama and unmatched athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple  H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair.

The show is currently the No. 1 show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of the year. One of television’s best performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode is airing. On social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms.

TKO Appoints Dwayne Johnson to Board of Directors

Johnson Granted Full Ownership of Trademarked Name, “The Rock”

TKO Group Holdings, Inc., a premium sports and entertainment company, has appointed Dwayne Johnson to its Board of Directors, effective today.

Johnson, one of the most decorated WWE Superstars in company history and the most followed American man globally on social media platforms, brings decades of experience in live entertainment and sports to the Board. Through his expansive business portfolio, which includes Seven Bucks Productions, Teremana Tequila, ZOA Energy, Project Rock, and the recently combined spring football league, the United Football League (UFL), Johnson has significant experience identifying and cultivating revenue generating media rights, live events, sponsorship, licensing, and social media opportunities. The appointment of Johnson reflects TKO’s commitment to delivering long-term value and strong performance for shareholders through strategic growth initiatives across both UFC and WWE.

Vince McMahon, Executive Chairman of the Board, TKO, said: “Very few people on the planet understand the convergence of sports, entertainment, media, and business like Rock. We are proud to have him join the TKO board to help take our company to new heights.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, said: “My grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, and my dad, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson, would’ve never thought this day would come. Which is why I’m very humbled to have a seat at the table that has decades of history and family legacy for me. A table that my family helped to build. Being on the TKO Board of Directors, and taking full ownership of my name, ‘The Rock’, is not only unprecedented, but incredibly inspiring as my crazy life is coming full circle. At my core, I’m a builder who builds for and serves the people, and Ari is building something truly game changing. I’m very motivated to help continue to globally expand our TKO, WWE, and UFC businesses as the worldwide leaders in sports and entertainment — while proudly representing so many phenomenal athletes and performers who show up every day putting in the hard work with their own two hands to make their dreams come true and deliver for our audiences. I’ve been there, I’m still there and this is for them.”

Ariel Emanuel, CEO, TKO, said: “I am thrilled to partner with Dwayne and welcome his immense talent to TKO’s Board. Dwayne brings an incredible track record of creating content and building globally recognized consumer brands, and he will play a key role in realizing our ambitions for TKO.”

WWE has also entered into a services and merchandising agreement with Johnson that provides for his promotional, licensing, and other services, and an intellectual property assignment agreement pursuant to which Johnson has secured ownership of the trademarked name, “The Rock”. The name is derived from his father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, who was the first Black champion in WWE history (alongside partner Tony Atlas). Johnson’s grandfather, Peter Maivia, a Samoan-American professional wrestler, was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.

The addition of Johnson, as well as today’s appointment of Brad Keywell to TKO’s Board of Directors, will increase TKO’s board from 11 to 13 members.

Johnson has been a client of Endeavor’s WME agency for nearly 13 years.

WWE Reportedly Sets All-Time Record At Madison Square Garden Live Event

Business is booming for WWE right now, with the promotion reportedly setting an all-time record at the recent Madison Square Garden live event.

"Fightful Select" has reported that the December 26 live event at the iconic New York venue is the highest-grossing domestic non-televised event in the history of the promotion. The show saw CM Punk wrestle for the first time since his return to WWE, defeating former "NXT" North American Champion, Dominik Mysterio, whom he will face once again at a live event in California. The report added that WWE has stated internally that the show was sold out, with WrestleTix revealing that over 15,000 tickets were sold for the show. 

"Fightful" has also revealed that the live event in Baltimore, featuring the "WWE SmackDown" roster, was the highest-grossing non-televised WWE show in the region.

The stacked card at the Madison Square Garden show featured several of "WWE Raw's" top stars, including the likes of Rhea Ripley, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Becky Lynch, and Cody Rhodes. Rollins and McIntyre closed out the event, where the former retained his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Finn Balor and Damian Priest retained their tag team titles against Sami Zayn and Jey Uso, while WWE Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley defeated Ivy Nile and Shayna Baszler in a triple threat match.

The "Raw" and "SmackDown" rosters have a string of live events lined up ahead of the new year. This week's "SmackDown" will air a best-of show, recapping the highlights of 2023 from the blue brand, much like the "Raw" show on Christmas day.

TNA Wrestling has partnered with Endeavor Streaming to deliver its global, on-demand streaming service, TNA+

TNA Wrestling (formerly IMPACT Wrestling)—a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment and a division of Anthem Sports Group—has partnered with Endeavor Streaming to deliver its global, on-demand streaming service, TNA+, to its passionate fans, launching Friday, January 5.

 As part of a multi-year deal, Endeavor Streaming will power the new TNA+ app to deliver an enhanced user experience to all fans across the top streaming platforms, as well as mobile and connected devices. 

This partnership combines TNA’s expertise as a top professional wrestling promoter with Endeavor Streaming’s unparalleled knowledge in delivering innovative direct-to-consumer offerings, marketing tools, analytics, and predictive modeling. TNA+ will leverage Endeavor’s experience working with the world’s biggest sports organizations to scale TNA+’s business operations and further grow its fan base and digital revenues.

In addition to reclaiming the iconic TNA moniker, the TNA+ app is relaunching with an all-new dynamic look, as well as expanded options and increased functionality. The app puts the power back in the fans’ hands, delivering the ultimate premium experience where they can stream the company’s flagship weekly TV show and tune into exciting pay-per-view events, view TNA’s full archive, get exclusive original content and wrestler-created series, and even have the chance to interact with some of TNA’s top stars.TNA+ will be available at TNAWrestling.com, via iOS, tvOS and Android mobile apps, as well as big screen devices such as Android TV, Fire TV and Roku, with more platforms to follow. Subscribers will have the choice of a “Special Attraction” membership tier that features access to the full TNA/IMPACT Wrestling library and all TNA+ special PPV programming other than the 4-tent pole annual events offered at a price of $9.99 monthly or $95.99 per year, and a “World Championship” membership tier that includes all the perks of the Special Attraction tier, plus the 4-tent pole PPV events, offered at a price of $219.99 per year. Further details and subscription information for the new service can be found at TNAwrestling.com.

“This is truly an incredible opportunity for us as we forge into an exciting new chapter of the TNA legacy,” said TNA Wrestling President Scott D’Amore. “We are proud to partner with Endeavor Streaming on this initiative, and we look forward to continuing to provide our fans with the absolute best in new, classic and exclusive professional wrestling content, available to them anywhere, anytime, on their favorite devices, when TNA+ launches on January 5.” Pete Bellamy, Chief Commercial Officer at Endeavor Streaming said, “Wrestling fans are some of the most passionate in the world of sports and entertainment and TNA+ is the perfect ‘always-on’ personalized OTT service to help TNA build a deeper relationship with its global audience. We’re looking forward to working with TNA to deliver the best streaming experience for wrestling fans.”

Further details and subscription information for the new service can be found at TNAwrestling.com.

WWE-UFC Merger Challenged In Lawsuit Alleging “Sham Sales Process” for Megadeal

Investors claim that WWE board members favored a merger with Endeavor's UFC to allow Vince McMahon to stay on as executive chairman of TKO Group.

Vince McMahon’s corporate coup that paved a path for him to force his way back onto the WWE board and merge the sports entertainment powerhouse with Endeavor’s UFC is back in the spotlight, with a lawsuit arguing that he ignored more lucrative offers at the expense of investors.

A suit, unsealed in the Delaware Court of Chancery on Nov. 22, alleges that McMahon pushed a “quick sale” of WWE to Endeavor chief Ari Emanuel, his “close friend and longtime ally” who proposed a sweetheart deal that allowed the wrestling mogul to stay on as executive chairman of TKO Group and avoid scrutiny in connection with sexual misconduct allegations that could’ve ousted him from the company. According to the complaint filed by investors, WWE board members “conjured up a sham sales process” designed to favor Endeavor and “exclude other bidders seeking to axe” McMahon, disregarding at least two all cash offers with betters terms.

The complaint extensively details McMahon’s turbulent tenure as head of WWE, culminating in September with the formation of TKO Group through a $21 billion merger between UFC and WWE. He had returned to the company in January after having stepped down as chief executive amid a sexual misconduct investigation into $17.4 million in hush money payments to four different women formerly employed by the company. McMahon, as WWE’s controlling stockholder, removed and replaced three then-serving board members with himself and former executives George Barrios and Michelle Wilson.

“If McMahon was found to have breached his duty of loyalty, WWE stockholders could have sought his removal as a director,” states the suit. “Such scrutiny appears to have prompted McMahon to seek a ‘quick’ sale of the Company that also allowed him to continue running WWE.”

WWE announced on the same day as McMahon’s return in January a review of strategic options. In a statement, he said that he wanted to lead any talks about a possible sale or rights negotiations himself. Investors claim that he immediately turned to Emanuel, his former agent whom he “knew would allow him to remain at the helm” of the merged entity. They say that both the process and price point were unfair, alleging there were betters deals on the table.

According to the complaint, this included undisclosed companies submitting cash offers at $95-$100 and $90-$97.50 per share. But because they contemplated cashing out WWE stockholders and barred McMahon from rolling over his shares, which would’ve signaled his “complete ouster” from the wrestling world, the board “never bothered to make” counterproposals, the suit states.

Instead, WWE exclusively negotiated with Endeavor, proposing an all-stock deal that was contingent upon McMahon serving as executive chairman of the combined company, the complaint says. Endeavor ultimately agreed, with it owning 51 percent of the post-deal firm and former WWE stockholders owning the remaining 49 percent. Investors allege that merger was consummated at $95.66 per share, which fell below two competing, all-cash offers. (Those WWE suitors were redacted in the complaint. But the companies were described as “major institutions with significant access to capital” that had “compelling reasons to close an acquisition of WWE.” One of them likely had “significant runway to increase its offer due to the outsized synergies it could generate in a combination with” the company, the suit says.)

“Not only did he secure a future for himself at post-merger WWE, McMahon also stuffed his pockets and those of his loyalists before agreeing to a deal,” states the complaint, which points to he and former chief executive Nick Kahn securing so-called golden parachutes, along with Khan, McMahon’s son-in-law and WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque (known professionally as “Triple-H”) and WWE president Frank A. Riddick getting a combined $25 million in cash bonuses.

The suit argues that the $21 billion price tag undervalues WWE. It’s “far below the offers” the board could’ve obtained from multiple other bidders had it “made any effort to negotiate in good faith,” investors claim.

According to the complaint, McMahon and his allies on the board “timed negotiations” to favor a deal with Endeavor, including by providing early due diligence and backchanneling information to the company so that it was able to make an early offer. During this process, WWE only secured a budget for UFC’s current fiscal year rather than insisting on a full set of multi year projections, as is customary, despite agreeing to merger consideration that depended on valuing UFC accurately, the suit says. By rushing to secure a merger with Endeavor without conducting adequate due diligence, investors argue the board got an unfavorable deal in agreeing to a 51-49 split.

The complaint, filed by an Ohio pension fund, names McMahon, Khan, Levesque, Barrios and Wilson, among others. It contains various claims for breach of contract and seeks to represent all stockholders who cashed out their shares in the merger.

WWE didn’t respond to a request for comment.

source: Hollywood Reporter

Paul “Triple H” Levesque Offers Inside Look At WWE Storytelling

 "Book what people want to see and feel...More?

source:  si.com

The CW Network To Become The Exclusive Broadcast Home To WWE NXT

NXT Makes Broadcast Television Debut with Five-Year Deal Beginning October 2024

Network to Air Live Events Featuring WWE’s Next Generation of Superstars 52 Weeks a Year

November 7, 2023 (Burbank, CA & Stamford, Conn.) – The CW Network will become the official broadcast home to WWE NXT in October 2024. The five-year agreement marks the first time in its 13-year history that WWE NXT – which showcases WWE’s hottest up-and-coming Superstars – will air on a broadcast television network. WWE NXT will debut on The CW Network in October 2024 and air 52 live weekly events throughout the season.

“We are thrilled to welcome the WWE brand into the CW Sports portfolio as they play an integral role in our mission to bring live sporting events to the network year-round,” said Dennis Miller, President, The CW Network. “WWE NXT is a perfect fit for The CW thanks to its dynamic young talent featuring the hottest rising stars in the sport and exhilarating, unpredictable weekly events. The passion and engagement of WWE’s fanbase is unmatched, and we are eager to grow that audience as WWE NXT’s new home on broadcast television.”

“The CW has made impressive moves over the past year with its live sports programming schedule,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “It’s a truly exciting opportunity to expand NXT’s audience by bringing the show to broadcast television for the first time in NXT’s history.”

Launched by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE NXT has aired weekly since 2012 and features the brightest young talent in sports entertainment. Nearly 90% of the participants in last year’s WrestleMania were developed under the NXT banner. Led by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, NXT is popular with younger audiences, ranking No. 1 in cable primetime on Tuesday nights last quarter among adults 18-49 and 18-34. Year to date, NXT’s average viewership is up 30% among adults 18-49. WWE Superstars, such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, have come up through NXT.

WWE NXT joins a growing roster of live sports on The CW Network, including ACC football and basketball games airing every Saturday throughout the season and LIV Golf. The CW is also the new home of the Emmy-award winning weekly studio series “Inside the NFL” and will broadcast NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning in 2025. The network will soon offer more than 500 hours of sports programming year-round.

IMPACT Will Rebrand As TNA Wrestling In Jan 2024

TORONTO | CHICAGO – October 21, 2023 – Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a global, multi-platform media company, announced today that its professional wrestling company, IMPACT Wrestling, is returning to its iconic Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling name, at “Hard To Kill,” its first pay-per-view event of 2024, which will originate for the first time ever from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

TNA will launch 2024 with Hard To Kill on Saturday, January 13, with a second night of action-packed professional wrestling – the “Snake Eyes Extravaganza Show” – at The Palms on Sunday, January 14. The Snake Eyes Extravaganza Show will be taped to air on the company’s flagship weekly TV show, Impact!, airing every Thursday night on AXS TV (8 p.m. EST).

“We still hear the ‘TNA’ chants wherever we go,” said IMPACT Wrestling President Scott D’Amore. “Fans have longed for TNA Wrestling, so that’s what we’re bringing back in 2024: TNA Wrestling, we’re back!”

Giant WWE Championship Belt Sculpture Already Awing Passersby

A giant, 7-foot-tall pre-cast concrete monument resembling the real-life championship belt worn by wrestlers in WWE is nearing completion in front of the offices of the wrestling company on Washington Boulevard.

By Friday, the main frame of the belt was already installed, as were decorations meant to mimic the bejeweled facade of the WWE Championship, currently held by wrestler Roman Reigns.

Details Of Vince McMahon's Agreement To Pay Legal Fees For WWE Stockholder Lawsuit

For over a year now, former WWE owner Vince McMahon has been embroiled in a scandal revolving around hush money payments over alleged sexual misconduct. According to a recent SEC filing, McMahon agreed to pay $2 million to the plaintiffs in a stockholder lawsuit that originated back in January, meant to cover legal fees. That sum is in addition to the $17.4 million that McMahon was forced to pay back to the company to cover the cost of the investigation into his actions, which was one of the points of the lawsuit. The larger sum was ordered by the court back in March, while the $2 million amount was agreed to in May.

The suit, filed by WWE stockholders Carole Casale and Chrystal Lavalle in January, also sought to address McMahon's changing of the company's bylaws, allowing him to appoint himself back to the Board of Directors after stepping down in 2022. Once the nature of the lawsuit became clear, McMahon reverted the bylaws to the previous iteration, rendering that aspect of the lawsuit no longer relevant.

This isn't the end of the road for McMahon in terms of legal trouble. It was reported that McMahon had been served with a federal search warrant as well as a subpoena from a Grand Jury in July.

WWE’s ‘Smackdown’ to Move from Fox to USA Network in New Rights Deal

WWE’s “SmackDown” is officially set to return to USA Network in a new five-year rights deal.

The weekly show currently airs on Fox but will move to its new network home in October 2024 when the Fox deal expires. “Smackdown” originally began airing on Fox in 2019 as part of a five-year deal between the network and WWE. It had previously aired on USA Network from 2016-2019 and had a number of network homes before that, including Syfy, The CW, UPN, and MyNetworkTV.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources say the new deal is worth roughly $1.4 billion, up from the $1 billion Fox paid in 2019. As part of the new deal for “Smackdown,” WWE will produce four primetime specials per year for NBC, marking the first time that WWE will air in primetime on the network. It is unknown at this time exactly what form those primetime specials will take, i.e. if they will feature live wrestling or if they will be more documentary-focused like WWE’s programming on A&E. According to an individual with knowledge of the deal, the exact nature of the specials is still being determined.

“NBCUniversal has been a tremendous partner of WWE for decades,” said WWE president Nick Khan. “We are excited to extend this longstanding relationship by bringing ‘SmackDown’ to USA Network on Friday nights and look forward to debuting multiple WWE special events annually on NBC.”

The rights deals for both “Smackdown” and “Monday Night Raw” were due to expire in the next year. While “Smackdown’s” future has been determined, there is no word yet on where “Raw” will land. It currently also airs on USA Network, as does WWE’s NXT. Sources say that there has been serious interest from a number of top platforms but no deal has been made at the time of this publishing. Neither of the other two shows is expected to continue to on USA Network, according to sources.

“It’s a privilege and thrill to continue NBCU’s decades-long partnership with WWE which has helped cement USA Network’s consistent position as the top-rated cable entertainment network in live viewership” said Frances Berwick, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment. “With Friday nights on USA, primetime specials on NBC, and the WWE hub on Peacock, we’ll continue to use the power of our portfolio to superserve this passionate fanbase.”

Since 2021, NBCUniversal’s Peacock has been the exclusive streaming home of the WWE Network. That includes the company’s expansive library of wrestling shows as well as the home for annual events like WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble, Summer Slam, and more.

WWE was recently sold to Endeavor, which merged WWE with the UFC to form a new company dubbed TKO Group. Vince McMahon, former CEO of WWE, has assumed the role of executive chairman of TKO Group. Under the terms of the deal, McMahon — who was WWE’s controlling shareholder — will own 16.4% of the economic interests in TKO (and 16.4% of the voting power in the new entity). McMahon stepped down as WWE’s chief executive in 2022 amid an investigation by the company’s board into alleged hush-money payments to women who accused him of sexual misconduct. McMahon returned to the company in January 2023 as executive chairman to head up efforts to sell WWE.

source:  variety.com

Endeavor Announces Close of UFC® And WWE® Transaction To Create TKO Group Holdings, A Premium Sports And Entertainment Company

Endeavor Announces Close of UFC® and WWE® Transaction to Create TKO Group Holdings, a Premium Sports and Entertainment Company

New Company to Begin Trading Today, September 12, on the New York Stock Exchange Under “TKO” Ticker Symbol

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. & STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EDR) (“Endeavor”) and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (previously NYSE: WWE) (“WWE”) today announced the close of their previously announced agreement and the launch of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) (“TKO”).

TKO brings together UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and WWE, an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment, to create a new premium sports and entertainment company serving more than one billion young and diverse fans1, reaching viewers in 180 countries, and producing more than 350 annual live events. Through this combination, TKO will leverage Endeavor’s expertise in areas including domestic and international media rights, ticket sales and yield optimization, event operations, global partnerships, licensing, and premium hospitality to drive revenue growth.

“The creation of TKO marks an exciting new chapter for UFC and WWE as leaders in global sports and entertainment,” said Ariel Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor and TKO. “Given their continued connectivity to the Endeavor network, we are confident in our ability to accelerate their respective growth and unlock long-term sustainable value for shareholders. With UFC and WWE under one roof, we will provide unrivaled experiences for more than a billion passionate fans worldwide.”

“This is the culmination of a decades-long partnership between Endeavor and WWE across strategic initiatives including talent representation and media rights. Given our collaborative, trusted relationship and Endeavor’s incredible track record of success growing UFC, we believe WWE is optimally positioned for future growth and success as part of TKO,” said Vince McMahon, Executive Chairman of TKO. “Our focus remains on delivering for our fans across the globe as we take the business to the next level alongside UFC and Endeavor.”

TKO will begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “TKO,” with Endeavor holding a 51% controlling interest in the new company and existing WWE shareholders holding a 49% interest in the new company, on a fully diluted basis.

As previously announced, TKO is led by:

Ariel Emanuel, Chief Executive Officer, who continues as Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor;

Mark Shapiro, President and Chief Operating Officer, who continues as President and Chief Operating Officer of Endeavor;

Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer; and

Seth Krauss, Chief Legal Officer, who continues as Chief Legal Officer of Endeavor.

Dana White is now Chief Executive Officer of UFC and Lawrence Epstein remains Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of UFC. Nick Khan continues at WWE in the role of President.

The Board of Directors of TKO is led by Vince McMahon as Executive Chairman of the Board and consists of 11 members, including Mr. Emanuel, Mr. Shapiro, and Mr. Khan, in addition to the following directors:

Peter C.B. Bynoe, Senior Advisor at DLA Piper LLP;

Egon P. Durban, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Silver Lake;

Steven R. Koonin, Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Hawks, LLC;

Jonathan A. Kraft, President of the Kraft Group LLC;

Sonya E. Medina, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reach Resilience;

Nancy R. Tellem, Executive Chairperson and Chief Media Officer of Eko; and

Carrie Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer and a board member of Opendoor Technologies Inc.

End Of An Era

Tonight's WWE Raw will be the last WWE show under the full majority control of Vince McMahon. End of an era.

UFC And WWE To Close Merger Next Week, Make NYSE Debut As TKO Group

UFC parent Endeavor Group and World Wrestling Entertainment said today they expect to close the planned merger of UFC and WWE on September 12. That’s on the earlier end of expectations as Endeavor said in August it expected the deal to close in mid-to-late September.

Endeavor and WWE announced a deal last spring for the Ari Emanuel-led company to take control of WWE and merge it into a new, stand-alone entity with UFC. The professional wrestling and mixed martial arts powerhouse will be called TKO Group Holdings and trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Valued at $21 billion, TKO will be a subsidiary of Endeavor, with 51% control. WWE (Raw, SmackDown) will control 49%.

Emanuel will be CEO. continue as president of UFCVince McMahon, WWE’s longtime leader, executive chairman and major shareholder, who orchestrated the deal with Endeavor, was set as executive chair of the new company’s board.

In early August, WWE announced federal law enforcement agents had executed a search warrant and served a federal grand jury subpoena on McMahon although no charges had been brought. WWE CEO Nick Khan also said then that McMahon was on a medical leave of absence until further notice following spinal surgery. launched an internal probe of McMahon in 2022 to investigate allegations of payments to women, which it found had totaled close to $20 million and that caused it to revise several quarterly financial statements. The probe wrapped up last November and McMahon paid the company $17.4 million for costs incurred.

source:  deadline.com

CM Punk fired from AEW after altercation with Jack Perry

AEW has released an announcement effective immediately about the termination of CM Punk from AEW. This comes following controversial situations involving Jack Perry, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and others.

You can read the full announcement below.

STATEMENT FROM ALL ELITE WRESTLING AND TONY KHAN

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has terminated the wrestler and employment agreements between Philip Brooks (CM Punk) and AEW with cause, effective immediately. The termination was confirmed today by Tony Khan, CEO, General Manager and Head of Creative of AEW.

The termination follows a weeklong internal investigation of an incident occurring backstage at AEW – All In London on Sunday, August 27. Following the investigation, the AEW Discipline Committee met and later convented with outside legal counsel before making a unanimous recommendation to Khan that CM Punk be terminated with cause.

Khan offered the following statement:

“Phil played an important role within AEW and I thank him for his contributions. The termination of his AEW contracts with cause is ultimately my decision, and mine alone. Of course, I wish I didn’t have to share this news, which may come as a disappointment to many of our fans. Nevertheless, I am making the decision in the best interests of the many amazing people who make AEW possible every week – our talent, staff, venue operators and many others whose efforts are unsung but essential to bringing our fans great shows on television and at arenas and stadiums throughout the world.”

Tensions erupted between CM Punk and Jack Perry backstage at All Elite Wrestling's All In London event on Sunday, August 27, just before Punk's scheduled bout with Samoa Joe. While conflicting stories exist about the specific details of the clash, it's confirmed that both wrestlers had been temporarily suspended as AEW looks into the incident which now seems to have concluded.

The dispute was fueled by Jack Perry's comment, "It's real glass, go cry me a river," which he made during his Zero Hour match against HOOK. Perry pointed to a limousine's windscreen that he would later be slammed through. This jab was directed at CM Punk and pertained to a previous argument the two had about glass during an AEW Collision taping earlier in the summer. Perry reportedly felt that insiders close to Punk, who leaked the argument, aimed to publicly humiliate him.

Souece: WrestlingNewsSource.Com

WWE Star Bray Wyatt Dead At 36

WWE superstar Bray Wyatt, whose real name is Windham Rotunda, has died, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque announced on social media Thursday. Wyatt was 36.

"Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda - also known as Bray Wyatt - unexpectedly passed earlier today," Levesque wrote on X, the company formerly known as Twitter. "Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time."

The news of Wyatt’s death was a shocking and devastating revelation as a report surfaced earlier this month that the former champion was nearing a return to the ring after battling a "life-threatening illness."

Earlier in the year, Wyatt got COVID that exacerbated a heart issue. He suffered a heart attack. Pro wrestlers and fans sent their condolences across social media.

Back in October, Wyatt had made a return to the WWE in one of the most mysterious build-ups the company had done in a while. A white rabbit, mystery QR codes and other messages appeared on WWE programming leading up to Wyatt’s eventual return at Extreme Rules. The hints pointed toward his return about 15 months since he was released in July 2021.

Wyatt’s "Fiend" character was among the favorite programs that WWE ran in recent years. WWE was able to make the character thrive through the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and he was put into epic feuds with John Cena and Randy Orton.

Wyatt’s cult leader character was also well-received when it began in 2013. However, Wyatt was released on July 31, 2021. His release marked the end of a 12-year run at WWE.

After his return on the premium live event, Wyatt cut a heartfelt promo thanking fans for welcoming him back and helping him through the tough times after his release.

"I am incredibly grateful. I’m really, really nervous to be here. I never thought this would happen," Wyatt said. "This right here, this is just me OK? This is a version of me I never got to introduce to you guys before. This is just me being me – genuine me – for the first time."

Wyatt explained at the time that over the last year, he lost a lot of friends and things in his life.

"I lost my career. I lost my self-confidence. I lost two people who were very, very close to me. I lost my way," he said. "And I got to a point where I thought that everything that I’ve ever done here or otherwise, it was all meaningless. Nothing I’ve ever did has ever mattered to anyone. And I was wrong.

"Once I was done feeling sorry for myself, I decided to go out in the world again and see … people everywhere that would say, ‘Thank you Bray, man. When you coming back home?’ And then every once in a while there would be someone I would meet that would be truly remarkable, and you know who you are. But these people they would come to me. They would come to me, and they would say, ‘Bray, I just wanted to thank you, man, because I was in a time of need, and I lost people that were close to me, and I lost my self-confidence, and I felt weak, and I felt vulnerable, and in this weakened state I found your words, Bray. I found your words, and I just wanted to thank you, man. You saved my life, Bray.’

"The truth is, I don’t think about stuff like that. And the thing about that is, is that I can sit here right now today, and I can look all of you in the eyes, and I can say you were there when I was weak, when I was vulnerable, when I was down, and I just wanted to say, ‘Thank you, you all saved my life.’"

Wyatt feuded with LA Knight, which culminated in a Pitch Black match at Royal Rumble. He was set to start a program with Bobby Lashley before he reportedly fell ill.

He was angled for a September return before his unexpected death, according to Fightful Select.

Wyatt had two daughters with his ex-wife and a son and daughter with former WWE announcer JoJo Offerman. His father, Mike Rotunda, was known in the WWE as Irwin R. Schyster (IRS).

WWE boss Vince McMahon hit with federal grand jury subpoena and search warrant

Federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on World Wrestling Entertainment

Vince McMahon last month and served him with a federal grand jury subpoena, the company disclosed Wednesday.

The actions represent an escalation of an ongoing investigation into allegations that McMahon paid millions of dollars over the years to women after being accused of sexual misconduct.

WWE also revealed Wednesday that McMahon “went on medical leave after undergoing major spinal surgery.”

McMahon’s leave began July 21, and he will “remain on medical leave until further notice but will remain Executive Chairman” of WWE, the company said in its quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission...More?

source:  cnbc.com

WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon on Medical Leave “Until Further Notice” Following Surgery

The WWE said in a footnote to a SEC filing that federal agents executed a search warrant and served a federal grand jury subpoena on McMahon July 17...More?


source: hollywoodreporter.com

WrestleMania Generated $215 Million For the Los Angeles Region

WWE continues to tout the success of its second quarter earnings. On Wednesday, the company announced that WrestleMania 39 generated $215 million in economic impact for the Los Angeles region. WrestleMania events spanned several days in the "City of Angels" with "WWE SmackDown," the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, NXT Stand and Deliver, the two-night WrestleMania event, and "WWE Raw" the following Monday, plus other local events.

Applied Analysis conducted the economic impact study. With that being said, WrestleMania 39 broke the record from the year prior when WrestleMania 38 brought $206.5 million in economic impact for the Dallas/Arlington region in Texas. It was also noted in WWE's press release that WrestleMania events have generated more than $1.2 billion in cumulative economic impact for host cities since 2016.

Other statistics from the study found that out-of-town visitors stayed for an average of four nights in Los Angeles. More than half of the attendees came from outside of southern California and 15% of fans traveled from international markets.

WWE previously announced that WrestleMania 39 brought in $21.6 million in ticket sales, which was a 27% increase from the previous record and made it the highest-grossing WWE event of all time. They also sold 20% more merchandise than the year before. Night One drew 80,497 attendees, while Night Two drew 81,395 for a combined attendance of 161,892.

Natalya Received Six Guinness World Record Certificates

Backstage at Saturday's WWE Money in the Bank premium live event, WWE "Raw" Superstar Natalya received a total of six Guinness World Record certificates. Of course, Nattie reacted to the news via Twitter, noting that "wrestling is a singles sport that you can't do on your own.

"These kinds of stats paint the picture that I want for my legacy, long after I'm done. Each one of these records was attained while trying my hardest to build a division, not a person. That's what my family has taught me. Wrestling is a singles sport you can't do on your own," she tweeted.

The records include — Most WWE matches (female) with 1,514 matches, Most WWE wins in a career (female) with 663 wins, Most WWE PLE appearances (female) with 75 appearances, Most WWE WrestleMania appearances (female) with 8, Most WWE "Raw" matches with 174 matches and Most WWE "SmackDown" matches with a total of 200.

Natalya's first WWE match, according to Cagematch.net, was a Dark match against Victoria on the November 27, 2007 episode of "SmackDown." Since then Natalya has been a fixture in the WWE Women's roster. She has held the WWE Divas Championship, the "SmackDown" Women's Championship, and her most recent title was in 2021 — the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. Nattie's last televised "Raw" match was on the June 5 episode, where she lost to Zoey Starks in a Money In The Bank Qualifying match. On June 30, she faced Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women's Title at a non-televised event.