WWE and UFC have joined forces to create a unprecedented new sports entertainment brand worth $17.3 billion. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel will be leading the new undertaking, while Vince McMahon, executive chairman of WWE, will be taking on a similar role and UFC President Dana White will continue his duties. Last year, McMahon stepped away from the company due to misconduct claims, but returned in January, indicating the company was ready to be sold.
Forging this new entertainment company will be beneficial to both WWE and UFC. With WWE’s immense global outreach and vast array of fanbases, including an extensive variety of demographics and incomes, the company is a social media powerhouse. In the last quarter of 2022, the company had more than 16 billion social media video views and over 94 million YouTube subscribers with more than 20 million TikTok followers.
Ari Emanuel expressed his excitement for the prospect of the new business, noting that its immense potential value. He said, “This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pureplay built for where the industry is headed. For decades, Vince and his team have demonstrated an incredible track record of innovation and shareholder value creation, and we are confident that Endeavor can deliver significant additional value for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together.”
Vince McMahon has long been a key part of WWE’s growth and influence. A wrestling promoter and businessman, McMahon has been known to push the boundaries of entertainment and draw in heated, controversial moments to the wrestling industry. He was an on-screen personality as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the WWE, and created the WWE Network, a streaming service.
McMahon reported strengthened the WWE with his leadership. He took the company’s profits to unimagined heights and helped it become a media powerhouse. Under his leadership, WWE launched global content strategies, expanded reach into 170 countries and acquired the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF). In addition, McMahon invested in a blend of sports and entertainment content in order to reach a wider range of viewers.
Dana White was made president of UFC in 2001. Since then, White has turned UFC into one of the most successful and recognizable global brands. Under White’s leadership, UFC now celebrates 18 seasons of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, has held 600 live events and become the premier organization in MMA combat sports. White created and perfected the business model of pay-per-view events, which provided the framework for the financial success of UFC, and changed the focus of the organization to multimedia content and at-home viewing.
The merging of WWE and UFC into a new sports entertainment brand is a milestone in the history of both organizations. With such influential leadership from Vince McMahon and Dana White, combined with the vision and leadership of Ari Emanuel, this new partnership is sure to make a strong impression in the entertainment industry.
