During the recent TKO Q2 investors call, TKO President Mark Shapiro revealed that Vince McMahon only wanted the UFC as part of the TKO merger and that PBR had never been involved in the negotiations.
TKO (TKO Group Holdings, Inc.) was created by Endeavor as part of a merger between WWE and the UFC, which was completed on September 12, 2023. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Shapiro said, “With regard to PBR specifically, that was just never in the cards. We were negotiating with Vince McMahon at the time. From day one, he was only open to doing this merger, if you will, if it was these two properties. Period, end of story. There was no discussion on PBR. That’s the reason why that happened.”
As part of the merger, Endeavor holds a 51% majority stake in TKO, while WWE’s shareholders retain a 49% stake. WWE is valued at $9.1 billion.
