WWE's Nick Khan: Buyers Are Interested, But WWE Is NOT For Sale
Vince McMahon is NOT open for business despite other companies' apparent interest in buying WWE.
Potential buyers are interested in acquiring WWE - but the market-leading wrestling promotion isn't selling.
This is according to WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan. Interviewed by the Sports Business Journal ahead of Saturday's Royal Rumble 2022 show, he told the outlet that while WWE has received contract from several parties interested in buying Vince McMahon's promotion, the company isn't actively involved in those conversations, nor is it actively trying to sell.
Khan has ascended to a lofty position in WWE since entering the promotion in August 2020, to the extent that the media often presents him, effectively, as McMahon's right-hand man. He is widely credited with the completion of such deals as the $1 billion agreement to bring WWE Network content to Peacock, amongst other things, and has overseen a number of major changes since coming in.
On those, Nick told the Journal the following:-
"If it once was a mom-and-pop shop, Vince certainly didn’t believe it was anymore. Part of what I believe he was looking for in bringing in someone from the outside was to make sure the community at large didn’t treat it that way. We believe we’re a global content company.”
WWE sale rumours have swirled almost constantly since McMahon hired Khan in August 2020. These grew particularly strong in 2021, when WWE's constant "budget cuts" were interpreted by some as the group preparing for a change in ownership, though it appears this isn't the case.