It’s been a blockbuster year in the sports and entertainment world, folks—like, really tremendous. The kind of year that makes you sit back and think, “Wow, the ratings are through the roof!” WWE just wrapped up its mega-merger into TKO, AEW is in the middle of some very intense media rights negotiations, and over in the basketball world, the NBA pulled off a slam dunk by ditching TNT Sports for a cool 11-year streaming deal with Amazon. This move by the NBA has left everyone buzzing, especially those wondering what this means for AEW’s own talks with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). But guess who’s not sweating it? That’s right, TKO CEO Ari Emanuel. In fact, he’s looking at this NBA deal like it’s the best thing since WrestleMania III.
During TKO’s Q2 Investor Call, Ari Emanuel, the big boss of all things UFC and WWE, sounded more confident than a politician at a rally. “The strength and appeal of our iconic properties are undeniable,” he declared, probably while making the kind of hand gestures that emphasize just how YUGE this is. “As we build towards the launch of WWE’s partnership with Netflix and with the record-breaking NBA media rights deals signaling powerful secular tailwinds ahead of our rights renewals, our conviction in TKO’s potential for long-term growth and value creation is as strong as ever.”
Now, let’s break down that “secular tailwinds” phrase—sounds fancy, right? It’s like a perfect storm of good vibes in the market that keeps pushing the value of sports entities, including TKO’s UFC and WWE, higher and higher. Emanuel sees the NBA’s media rights deal as a clear sign that big money is up for grabs, and he’s ready to pounce on it like it’s a briefcase hanging over a ladder match. And why shouldn’t he be? WWE’s already lined up some big moves, like sending “WWE SmackDown” to the USA Network, “WWE NXT” to The CW, and, in the ultimate power move, “WWE Raw” to Netflix in January 2025. Trust me, folks, these are YUGE deals—bigger than anyone’s ever seen!
As for AEW? Well, they’re still playing the waiting game, reportedly letting the exclusivity window in their negotiations with WBD come and go like a deadline in a government shutdown. But while they keep everyone guessing, Ari Emanuel’s looking at the NBA deal and seeing dollar signs—big, beautiful, bold dollar signs—for WWE and TKO.
So, in the end, it’s all about winning. And in this game of media rights, it looks like WWE and TKO are going for the pin!