Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE became official on Monday, creating a massive combat sports and sports entertainment company featuring the wrestling promotion and UFC.
How this affects media rights in the future remains to be seen, but the acquisition and merger will likely have some kind of impact on negotiations moving forward.
If Endeavor could package WWE and UFC together in a media rights negotiation, the price tag might just exceed that of the NFL. But the expiration of the current media rights deals for both companies are too far apart.
WWE’s deal with FOX and NBCUniversal is coming up in 2024, and negotiations on a new deal are in the early stages. The current agreement is worth an estimated $500 million per year.
UFC’s contract with ESPN is believed to be worth $300 million annually, but that deal isn’t up until 2026.
Endeavor now has a 51% ownership stake in WWE. The remaining 49% is with company shareholders.
