WWE is under new ownership. As revealed on the morning after WWE WrestleMania 39, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon sold his longtime family business to Endeavor Content, the parent company of UFC. This sale, which was valued at an estimated $9.3 billion dollars, will see Endeavor merge WWE and UFC into one large publicly-traded company under the stocker ticker of TKO. UFC President Dana White has admitted in past interviews that he is largely in the dark when it comes to what this merger will mean in totality, but he emphasized that he does not see any crossovers between WWE and UFC happening beyond promotional opportunities.
While WWE and UFC talent will remain exclusive to their respective companies, many employees on the corporate side will have their responsibilities spread across both. This has led to speculation that another wave of cuts could be imminent as WWE and UFC look to dissolve some corporate positions.
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WWE Employees Feel “Gloom and Doom” Ahead of Merger
According to PWInsider, WWE employees within the company offices are feeling a sense of “gloom and doom” ahead of September’s merger with UFC. The reported feeling is that if an employee is not actively involved with WWE production or WWE talent, their position is not safe. There is no word on if these expected cuts will extend to the WWE roster or members of the traveling production crew.
Vince McMahon’s Message to WWE Employees
Shortly after the sale to Endeavor was announced, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon issued the following statement to employees:
I’m excited to announce that WWE has entered into a partnership with Endeavor to create a one-of-a-kind company that will bring together two global sports and entertainment powerhouses: WWE and UFC.
The historic alliance of these two formidable institutions has the potential to unlock vast growth opportunities for both organizations and generate an optimal outcome for our employees, shareholders, fans, and other stakeholders.
We are huge admirers of the work Endeavor has done to grow the UFC brand, and they will be the perfect partner to help supercharge our growth at WWE.
There has yet to be any explicit firings related to the imminent merger within WWE, but the company has dropped a couple of big costs. Former WWE Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey’s contract recently expired and is not being renewed at this time, which saves WWE over seven figures in spending. Other talent like Lacey Evans have also exited WWE upon contracts expiring.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on WWE’s merger with UFC.
