Hours before its signature event, WrestleMania 39, got underway Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, a report on CNBC.com indicated that UFC parent company Endeavor was poised to purchase the WWE, the world's leading wrestling brand, in a mega-deal.
WWE Announces Matches With Tyson Fury And Cain Velasquez At Crown Jewel Event
CNBC reported that Endeavor would acquire a 51 percent stake in the WWE and merge it with UFC in a new company that would be headed by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.Endeavor acquired controlling interest in the UFC in a massive $4.25 billion deal in 2016. It bought out the remaining shareholders in 2021 to become 100 percent owners. On the Endeavor earnings call Feb. 28, Emanuel said revenue in its owned sports division was $301.4 million, up 9% year over year.
The combined UFC-WWE company will give Endeavor a ratings monster. Sportico reported on Friday that the WWE's"WWE Raw," which airs on USA network, is the highest-rated show on cable. It averages 1.83 million viewers, a 9% year-over-year increase. Most importantly, it's averaging 695,049 viewers in the 18-49-year-old demographic, making it first in that demo and an 18% increase over 2022.
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