WWE Being Targeted For Takeover?

Could that long-rumoured WWE sale finally be on the table?

by Andrew Pollard
WWE HQ
WWE

Could WWE be one of the next major entities to be purchased by a streaming juggernaut? According to CNBC, Vince McMahon's sports entertainment behemoth could be the next logical pick-up for a Disney, a Netflix, a Paramount, an NBCUniversal, etc.

With WWE President Nick Khan having already publicly declared how the organisation is "open for business", the publicly traded status of WWE means it stands out as a genuine takeover candidate for streaming services right now.

Having a market capitalisation of $4.6 billion, WWE is an appealing option thanks to its global reach and name recognition. With Vince McMahon owning over 80% of voting power in the company, that clearly means that the 76-year-old McMahon is key to what happens to WWE in the future. If Vince finally does decide to step away from running the business, that throws up the question of whether control of WWE remains with someone close to McMahon - such as daughter Stephanie or the aforementioned Nick Khan - or if instead the decision is made to sell the company off to the highest bidder.

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Of course, the North American rights for the WWE Network are already with NBCUniversal and Peacock, and some view that as just the start of the process of Vinny Mac slowly selling the company he's owned since 1982.

With Amazon having nabbed the rights to Thursday Night Football, Apple and Amazon striking deals for MLB games, Netflix showing interest in Formula One, and Disney outright owning ESPN, it's easy to see why WWE is another logical entity for streaming giants to have an interest in.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.