Disney Cuts Its First Deal With WWE

WWE and Disney have signed their first deal together.

Disney has agreed to an exclusive agreement that will see them carry the WWE Network in Indonesia, according to Sports Business Journal.

The deal will make the WWE Network available on Disney+ Hotstar, beginning this Sunday, January 30 with the Royal Rumble event that takes place the day before.

The new Disney – WWE agreement will also make all WWE events available to Disney+ Hotstar subscribers via a standard subscription. All events will be covered in the Bahasa Indonesian language, and English.

This is the first actual deal between WWE and Disney, but the two entertainment giants already have an established working relationship. WWE previously signed deals with FOX in Latin America, which were inherited by Disney as part of its 2019 acquisition of FOX entertainment assets. Disney-majority-owned Hulu also holds the United States re-air rights for RAW and SmackDown, which are up at the end of the year, and the U.S. rights to WWE Main Event.

Nick Khan Confirms WWE Has Taken Calls About A Potential Sale, Reason For Internal Changes

Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, Eli Manning and Vince McMahon at March of Dimes event.

WWE has taken calls from other companies looking to purchase the sports entertainment heavyweight, but they are not looking to sell.

WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan, pictured above with WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, and NFL star Eli Manning at a March of Dimes Sports Luncheon back in November, recently spoke with Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand and revealed the interest from other companies.

Khan confirmed that WWE has taken some inbound calls from other companies looking to buy, but he stressed that WWE is not in active talks trying to sell the company, and they are not actively looking to sell.

Khan also commented on how Vince sees the company, and WWE bringing him on a year and a half ago.

“If it once was a mom-and-pop shop, Vince certainly didn’t believe it was anymore,” Khan said. “Part of what I believe he was looking for in bringing in someone from the outside was to make sure the community at large didn’t treat it that way. We believe we’re a global content company.”

It was noted how Khan didn’t just target the broader sports and entertainment community with this push as he felt that he needed to change internal attitudes as well. While working for CAA Sports agency, Khan is the one who represented WWE when they sold their media rights to FOX and NBCUniversal. The FOX deal is worth $1 billion over 5 years, while the NBC deal is worth around $1.3 billion over 5 years.

Khan noted that during those 2018 negotiations, he was struck by the attitude of some WWE staffers, most of whom were not steeped in the intricacies of media. He said some of them acted as though they were fortunate just to have a seat at the table, and were content to negotiate with executives far down the chain of command.

Khan said he felt like that business attitude, as well as an overall knowledge of the media marketplace, needed to change in WWE.

“Vince believed that WWE was at a place where it had earned a seat at the adult table, but others in the company didn’t see it that way,” Khan said.

It’s no secret that WWE has undergone many internal changes since hiring Khan in August 2020. He and Vince have overseen an almost complete turnover of WWE’s media division, and the types of media deals WWE cuts have changed, as have the executives who negotiate those deals.

Khan went on a hiring spree soon after joining WWE as his goal was to bring in executives who shared Vince’s vision about the size and influence of WWE.

“For the company to be treated the way that Vince, Stephanie, [WWE executive] Kevin Dunn and myself and others believed it should be treated in the community, you needed executives who reflected that, who had range, who could get people on the phone and who could be taken seriously by their peers,” Khan said.

The corporate changes led to a series of moves that show a changing media strategy in WWE, which includes the new streaming strategy that saw the company license the WWE Network to Peacock as part of a 5 year, $1 billion deal. WWE executives see the Peacock deal as a template for similar international streaming deals.

WWE also decided to partner with outside production houses on programming featuring some of its biggest Superstars. Khan said WWE wants to be in business with everyone who is a real player.

“We want to be in business with everybody who is a real player in this business,” Khan said. “Understanding the business — where it’s at and where it’s heading — is a key part to all of this.”

Regarding Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble event from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Khan noted that ticket sales are tracking at an all-time high for The Rumble. One of WWE’s newer strategies is to stage events on different nights of the week, which is why SummerSlam and The Rumble were moved to Saturdays, among others. WWE credited the SummerSlam night change with helping the event post the largest gate in its history.

Nick Khan: WWE Wants To Work With ‘Real’ Players In The Media Industry

WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan wants to do what’s best for business.

In an interview with John Ourand of SBJ, Khan shared the company’s mindset regarding its business deals by noting that WWE wants to work with those who can be considered a “real player” in media.

“In what is now a cluttered OTT subscriber marketplace, it only made sense to partner with somebody,” said Khan. “We want to be in business with everybody who is a real player in this business. Understanding the business — where it’s at and where it’s heading — is a key part to all of this.”

The WWE President also looked back on his move to the company in 2020. Khan has been criticized for being an outsider, in terms of his connection to the wrestling industry, but he noted that Vince McMahon and other executives wanted to bring someone who would be “taken seriously” in the media marketplace.

“Part of what I believe he was looking for in bringing in someone from the outside was to make sure the community at large didn’t treat it that way,” said Khan. “We believe we’re a global content company. Vince believed that WWE was at a place where it had earned a seat at the adult table, but others in the company didn’t see it that way. For the company to be treated the way that Vince, Stephanie (McMahon), [WWE executive] Kevin Dunn and myself and others believed it should be treated in the community, you needed executives who reflected that, who had range, who could get people on the phone and who could be taken seriously by their peers.”

Throughout Khan’s time with the company, WWE has continued to bring in record profits and reach new heights with its Peacock deal, among other moves, though the company has also come under fire for its cost-cutting maneuvers. Most notably, the promotion has cut numerous superstars and employees, even after the height of the initial COVID-19 surge had passed.

MLW Files Lawsuit Against WWE, Alleges WWE Nixed Streaming Deal; WWE Responds

MLW has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against WWE.

MLW announced this evening that the lawsuit was filed earlier today in a federal court. The lawsuit is based on “WWE’s ongoing attempts to undermine competition in and monopolize the professional wrestling market by interfering with MLW’s contracts and business prospects.”

MLW’s announcement on the lawsuit included the following allegations against WWE, noting that WWE has pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with MLW, including a major streaming deal. It was also alleged that in early 2021, a then-WWE executive warned Vice TV that WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon was “pissed” that Vice was airing MLW programming, and that Vice should stop working with the promotion.

“As described in the complaint, WWE pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with MLW. WWE’s misconduct included disrupting every level of MLW’s business, including a major streaming deal for MLW which would have been transformative for the company.

MLW also allege in the complaint that in early 2021, after MLW announced that it was in talks with VICE TV to air MLW programs on VICE TV, a then-WWE executive warned VICE TV that WWE owner Vince McMahon was “pissed” that VICE TV was airing MLW programs, and that VICE TV should stop working with MLW, the VICE TV executive responded that WWE’s conduct was illegal and an antitrust violation, with the WWE executive responding that she could not control McMahon.”

MLW CEO Court Bauer provided a statement on the anti-trust lawsuit and said the behavior has to stop.

“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” Bauer said. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”

MLW added in their press release issued to this evening, “WWE’s ongoing misconduct has hurt fans of professional wrestling and competition in the professional wrestling industry. Through this lawsuit, MLW seeks to recover its losses due to WWE’s interference and to enjoin WWE from future interference.”

Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports noted that the lawsuit alleges that Stephanie McMahon managed to end MLW’s deal with the Tubi streaming service, which is owned by FOX. McMahon allegedly threatened that FOX “could lose WWE’s business or preferred content if Tubi did not acquiesce to WWE’s demand.” MLW received a letter that the deal was terminated the night before they planned to announce it publicly “as a result of WWE’s pressure and interference.”

The federal case is captioned MLW Media LLC v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. MLW is represented by Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, which is headquartered in New York City.

WWE provided the following statement in response to MLW’s lawsuit: “WWE believes these claims have no merit and intends to vigorously defend itself against them.”

WWE Releases Key PC Employees

WWE’s systematic pattern of mass releases has once again reared its ugly head as another quarter has come and gone.

Key employees of the WWE Performance Center, and notable NXT stars, have been cut as the promotion continues its aggressive move into a new era—both in terms of NXT and when it comes to a possible future sale.

WWE has reportedly released the following per Fightful:

Danny Burch

Timothy Thatcher

Hideki Suzuki

William Regal

Cathy Corino

Scott Armstrong

Hideki Suzuki

George Carroll

Ryan Katz

Dave Kapoor

Road Dogg

Ace Steel

WWE released the following statement regarding its most recent cuts:

“With the continued evolution of NXT 2.0, we’ve decided to part ways with some of the staff based in our Performance Center. We thank them for their many contributions throughout the years and wish them the best.”

Triple H On WWE Opening The Door For College Athletes To Earn Money

Triple H recently appeared on NBC News where he discussed WWE’s new NIL (Next In Line) program, something that WWE launched towards the end of 2020. Triple H believes it opens up an avenue for WWE, while also allowing the athletes to earn money. “To allow college students to sort of monetize and utilize their name, image, and likeness,” Triple H stated. “It has opened up an avenue for us. This allows them to have that open door to earn money while in college.” 

The inaugural class brings together 15 athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences, and four sports. They will all join Gable Steveson, who is also signed up for the NIL program. Of course, the Olympic gold medalist has already been shown on television and was part of the most recent WWE Draft. The 15 athletes who have been signed on to the first class are as follows: 

 * Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University * Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University * Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University * A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University * Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University * Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University * John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University * Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU * Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama * Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan * Masai Russel of Potomac, Md., a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from the University of Kentucky * Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University * Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University * Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas * Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama.

credit: NBC News Wrestling Inc.

Shawn Michaels Gives Update On Triple H

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels sat down with Denise Salcedo to talk about NXT 2.0. Michaels has largely been at the helm of NXT 2.0 since Triple H has taken time off to recover from heart surgery, and he admitted he didn’t expect to have to do as much. 

Michaels was asked about Triple H, who only recently resurfaced at the construction site of WWE’s new office in Stamford, Connecticut following his health scare. Shawn Michaels revealed he had been in touch with Triple H since then and that he believes the lesser workload is ultimately good for Triple H.

“Most of it is me bothering him to be perfectly honest,” Michaels said. “He has worked so much over the last several years and I don’t think he understood that it becomes your normal. For him to step away for a little bit, look, that takes getting used to. I went through it obviously, I am one of the rare people that was ready to do it and embrace it. But when it just happens out of the blue and you’re not expecting it; for him to go a hundred miles per hour to nothing was an adjustment. But I think he is, especially around this time of year, he’s now starting to realize like ‘hey this isn’t too bad.’ I think he’s bordering enjoying himself now to be perfectly honest. It’s a well deserved break for him, for sure.”

Top WWE Executives Make “Most Influential People In Sports Business” List

Three of WWE’s top executives are featured on Sports Business Journal’s 2021 Most Influential People in Sports Business list.

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, WWE President & CRO Nick Khan, and WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon are included on the list under the “Most Influential: Media Influencers” category.

SBJ pointed how there is a clear repositioning of WWE to a media business under Khan. They touted two big projects in the works – Netflix’s docuseries on Vince, and the Blumhouse-developed “The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon” TV series. SBJ wrote the following on The McMahons and Khan making the list together:

“There is clearly a repositioning of the WWE to a media business under Khan, who joined the company from CAA Sports in August 2020, especially with the move to Peacock as part of a five-year deal reported to be more than $1 billion. High-profile projects include a multipart Netflix docuseries on Vince McMahon’s life and a deal with Blumhouse Television on a scripted series about the WWE in the 1990s.”

SBJ’s “Most Influential: Media Influencers” list for 2021 also included executives from ESPN, NBC Sports Group, Amazon, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and WarnerMedia News & Sports/Turner Sports.

The listing on WarnerMedia News & Sports Chairman Jeff Zucker and Turner Sports President Lenny Daniels did not mention AEW, but did tout how Turner added NHL hockey and Premiere League soccer to the line-up, noting how Zucker and Daniels have become more aggressive in picking up sports rights. It was also noted that Warner/Turner now have one of the highest quality portfolios in all of sports media.

Jeff Hardy Released From WWE

Jeff Hardy has been released by WWE.

On Thursday, Fightful reported Jeff Hardy was released by WWE. No other details regarding terms of the release or what caused Hardy’s status to change were reported, but the release comes just days after Hardy was reportedly sent home from WWE’s live event tour this weekend.

When asking around for more details in regards to the initial report, sources only confirmed to WrestleZone that Jeff Hardy has been released by WWE.

According to a previous report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Hardy was sent home after he appeared increasingly “sluggish” in the ring during a WWE live event on December 4. Hardy competed alongside King Woods and Drew McIntyre in a six-man tag team bout against The Bloodline, but he ultimately left the arena through the crowd with security following him to the backstage area.

Hardy was later sent home from the tour and replaced by Rey Mysterio on the December 5 show in Corpus Christi, Texas. Hardy’s last televised appearance came on the December 3 episode of SmackDown when he and Drew McIntyre brawled with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss, setting up an advertised singles match with Corbin for the December 10 episode.

Hardy’s latest run with WWE was his third with the company; he returned in 2017 at WrestleMania 33 alongside his brother, Matt, to win the Raw Tag Team Championship. During this run, Hardy also won the Intercontinental Championship and United States Championship.

Update: Sapp later said he was told that WWE offered Hardy help and rehab, but it was not accepted.

WWE Reveals Inaugural Class Of NIL Athletes

WWE has unveiled 15 college athletes who will be among the first to participate in the company’s newly formed NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.

The inaugural “Next In Line” class includes athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences and four sports. In addition to the United States, the class includes representation from myriad countries spanning from Canada and Nigeria. The following 15 athletes join Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program:

* Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University

* Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University

* Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University

* Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University

* John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University

* Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU

* Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama

* Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan

* Masai Russel of Potomac, Md., a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from the University of Kentucky

* Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University

* Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University

* Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas

* Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama

WWE’s NIL program was announced last week following the NCAA’s historic new policy that took effect on July 1, 2021, which has ushered in the NIL era, allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. The comprehensive program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars and further enhances WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.

All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization, including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.

Learn more about the “Next In Line” program at wwe.com/nil.

Shawn Michaels Provides Update On Why Triple H Hasn't Returned To NXT Yet

 

During an interview with Jim Varsallone, Shawn Michaels provided an update on Triple H's status and health.

“Right now, for me, I’ve told him, ‘I don’t care how good you are, you stay away, get healthy, concentrate on you.’ The thing is, he put in a fabulous team here and that’s why it’s able to continue on without him because he put phenomenal people in place. I’m just the guy that gets to expedite everything and run traffic. The team he put in place was prepared for these kind of days and we want him to get healthy. He doesn’t have anything to worry about, we’ll be here when he gets back.“

WWE Launches NIL Program: NEXT IN LINE

WWE today announced the launch of a groundbreaking NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that will provide a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE. Following a historic new policy by the NCAA effective July 1, 2021, which ushered in the NIL era allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness, WWE has constructed a comprehensive program to recruit and develop potential future Superstars. Dubbed “Next In Line™,” the NIL program aims to enhance the talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds. “The WWE NIL program has the potential to be transformational to our business,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy and Development. “By creating partnerships with elite athletes at all levels across a wide variety of college sports, we will dramatically expand our pool of talent and create a system that readies NCAA competitors for WWE once their collegiate careers come to a close.” All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract. In September, WWE announced its first NIL deal with heavyweight freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson who captured a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The agreement allowed Steveson to return to the University of Minnesota for his senior season where he is defending his NCAA National Championship while beginning his Superstar training with WWE. WWE will unveil the first class of NIL partnerships in the coming weeks.