• Loading stock data...
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Tune in on Dec. 11 at 1:05 p.m. ET for our last Future of Sports virtual summit of the year – Future of Sports: Marketing! Register Now

Can Endeavor Handle Dana White and Vince McMahon?

  • Vince McMahon’s WWE ‘unretirement’ has renewed speculation he may seek to sell the wrestling giant.
  • Endeavor is seen as a possible suitor even as it faces scrutiny over the conduct of UFC president Dana White.
dana-white-ari-emanuel
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Vince McMahon is returning to WWE, and he’s looking to sell.

But anyone with thoughts of acquiring WWE has to weigh the baggage and scandals that come with McMahon.

One of those would-be suitors appears to be Endeavor. The entertainment giant’s president Mark Shapiro discussed the possibility on a The Ringer podcast in October: “When it comes to WWE? Yes, that would be something interesting and it would be worth exploring. Would we buy it? Who knows?”

The actions of another unapologetically macho and ruthless combat sports exec this week could make those questions harder to answer. 

UFC president Dana White had a violent confrontation with his wife on New Year’s Eve in Mexico that was caught on video and emerged via TMZ on Monday. White and his wife, Anne, apologized for their conduct.

Would Endeavor — which owns UFC and is led by arguably Hollywood’s top power broker, Ari Emanuel — be willing to acquire WWE and let McMahon run the company in the aftermath of White’s domestic incident?

Endeavor hasn’t said a word publicly despite multiple inquiries from Front Office Sports and other outlets this week. There are no indications that Endeavor is ready to move on from White.

Power Slap
exclusive

Dana White’s Slap-Fighting League Debut on TBS Delayed

Dana White and his wife recently had a physical altercation in Mexico.
January 5, 2023

Vince’s ‘Unretirement

McMahon announced his retirement from WWE in July, days after the Wall Street Journal reported he paid millions of dollars to suppress sexual misconduct and infidelity allegations over a span of 16 years.

“There’s clearly some tension with the board, to say the least,” LightShed Partners analyst Brandon Ross said. “They didn’t want him to come back. I think he wanted to come back and continue to be a part of the company and regretted retiring.”

  • At the time, industry experts thought his departure could lead to a sale to Endeavor, and FOS reported Comcast’s NBCUniversal was among the companies interested.
  • CAA and Amazon have also emerged as potential bidders if WWE opts to sell.
  • On Friday, FOS reported that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is likely to pursue a bid for WWE, as well.

But sale talk faded as chairwoman and co-CEO Stephanie McMahon, Vince’s daughter, co-CEO Nick Khan, and chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque have remained focused on running WWE as a public company. Its stock is up nearly 10% since Vince McMahon’s departure through this week — before news of McMahon’s return circulated. 

With sale speculation kicking back in, WWE’s stock rose 17% Friday to close at $84.27. 

WWE Won’t Come Cheap

McMahon, who holds sway over the company’s direction by owning most of WWE’s Class-B stock, rejoined the board along with allies Michelle Wilson and George Barrios.

“WWE has an exceptional management team in place, and I do not intend for my return to have any impact on their roles, duties, or responsibilities,” McMahon said in a statement released by the WWE on Friday.

exclusive

Saudi Public Investment Fund Could Bid On WWE

Could Saudis add dominant wrestling outfit to its portfolio.
January 6, 2023

McMahon purchased Capitol Wrestling Co. in 1982 from his father and turned pro wrestling — a patchwork of regional wrestling organizations at the time — into a national phenomenon.

  • Early stars like Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, and Randy “Macho Man” Savage made what was then called the WWF a household name, with a national TV deal with NBC.
  • WrestleMania, which debuted in 1985, became a major pay-per-view draw and spawned other PPV events over the years.

WWE is coming off its most profitable quarter in company history, and its market cap is $6.3 billion. Endeavor’s debt load sat at $5.43 billion per its last quarterly filing in November with a market cap of $10 billion, but Ross said a deal would still be workable for Endeavor.

UFC’s Meteoric Rise Under White

White and McMahon have feuded over the years, but White has also been open about his respect for McMahon. 

“What that guy built and what he’s done is incredible,” White said in July. “He’s been doing it for 50-plus years…. He’s phenomenal. He’s a killer. He’s buried the hatchet in my back a few times, but that’s what you’re dealing with. You [don’t] deal with a killer and not expect him to try to kill you. Yeah, I have nothing but respect for Vince.”

That could be because White, like McMahon, was instrumental in building his business from relative obscurity. UFC was teetering on bankruptcy and still had the cage-fighting stigma Sen. John McCain referred to as “human cockfighting” in 1996. 

  • White convinced friends and Las Vegas hotel heirs Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta to purchase UFC for $2 million in 2001, making White president in the deal.
  • White and others at UFC expanded a sport that was only sanctioned in a handful of states to put on shows nationwide.
  • The promotion expanded beyond a strong PPV business with its first broadcast deal with Fox in 2011.

White remained president after Endeavor purchased a controlling interest in UFC in 2018 for $4 billion.

Endeavor acquired the remaining percentage for 100% ownership prior to its 2021 IPO.

Endeavor’s Risk Tolerance 

Ari Emanuel, Endeavor’s CEO and brother of former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, has taken a moral stance on a number of issues in recent history — condemning Kanye West and Mel Gibson for their antisemitic tirades, and criticizing former President Donald Trump in a Chicago Tribune op-ed.

Will he act as decisively regarding White’s slapping of his wife? This isn’t the first incident involving White that’s drawn backlash, either.

  • Before the Endeavor acquisition, White apologized after footage of him using an anti-gay slur ran on an MMA blog. 
  • White signed Greg Hardy after the former NFL player was accused of domestic violence. Hardy made his debut at UFC Fight Night 143 in 2019 the same card as Rachael Ostovich, who suffered a fractured orbital bone weeks before from her then-husband, MMA competitor Arnold Berdon.
  • White has beefed with former fighters, and his attacks on reporters continued after Endeavor purchased UFC.
Endeavor

No Knockouts for UFC Owner’s $1.2B Quarter

Endeavor reported $1.22 billion in third-quarter revenue.
November 10, 2022

White and McMahon share a love of Trump. McMahon put Trump in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. White spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention and described Trump as a “very good friend of mine” to Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson in September. 

Emanuel, who is among the most reliable Democrat donors, may be able to look past politics in the interest of advancing UFC and possibly WWE’s business. The question now is what level of conduct would he be willing to tolerate from not one, but two, unpredictable partners who lead those companies?

“I don’t believe [McMahon’s history] will give Ari pause,” Ross said. “In terms of the Dana White piece of it, he’s been completely silent on that. He already has [White] in his hen house.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

LA Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic (9) celebrates with midfielder Riqui Puig (10) after scoring a goal against Seattle Sounders FC in the second half in the 2024 MLS Cup Western Conference Final match at Dignity Health Sports Park

With or Without Messi, Major League Soccer Is Barreling Into the Future

After the Cup final, the league looks to accelerate its growth.
Tyson

Gambling Company Sues Mike Tyson, Says He Blew Off Deal to Fight..

Tyson recently lost a highly anticipated fight to Jake Paul in Texas.

Netflix Tackles Buffering Woes Just in Time for NFL, WWE Debuts

The streaming giant says it has “learned” from the Paul-Tyson fight.
Dec 18, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; FIFA president Gianni Infantino claps during the awards ceremony after the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium.

FIFA Wants More Matches. Resistance Is Growing Inside the Global Soccer World

Resentment and frustration over expanded schedules is nearing a breaking point.

Featured Today

U.S. Investors Are Gunning for England’s Small Soccer Clubs

Is another Hollywood-like success story possible among the U.K.’s smallest clubs?
Nov 1, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) leads the team onto the field prior to the first quarter against the San Diego State Aztecs at Albertsons Stadium.
November 29, 2024

Schools Are Scrambling to Prepare for the NCAA Revenue-Sharing Era

In the post–House v. NCAA world, “everyone’s kind of on their own.”
Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Recording artist Taylor Swift arrives prior to a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
November 29, 2024

The PWHL Could Be Inviting a Date With Taylor Swift’s Legal Team

The Toronto Sceptres may have opened a Pandora’s box of trademark issues.
November 23, 2024

Can an Elite Women’s Soccer School Survive the New College Sports Moneyball?

Santa Clara faces an uphill battle in the new college sports landscape.
exclusive

Talor Gooch Using LIV Golf Fortune to Start Building Sports Empire

The golfer has made more than $43 million individually from LIV.
November 13, 2024

Why Liberty Media Spun Off Assets, Shook Up Leadership

Longtime CEO Greg Maffei is stepping down at the end of the year.
December 4, 2024

U.S. Firm Makes $310M Bet on Soccer by Forming Superagency

The U.S.-based investment company makes a significant play in international soccer.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Oct 27, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field.
October 30, 2024

Buffalo Bills in Talks to Sell Stake to PE Firm Arctos: Report

Arctos already has a slice of Paris Saint-Germain and the PGA Tour, among other assets.
Jul 7, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik hoists the Stanley Cup after the Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in game five to win the 2021 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena.
October 25, 2024

Lightning Sell at $1.8B Valuation, Nearly Double Prior NHL Record

The Lightning unveiled a multistep and multiyear sale process.
May 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game two of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.
October 9, 2024

Why Mark Cuban Sold the Dallas Mavericks When He Did

Cuban sold his majority stake to the Adelson family in December 2023.
Young fans look over Michigan State sports equipment on display during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
October 2, 2024

Private Equity Firms Buy Rival Hockey Brands CCM and Bauer

Both brands have been around for decades and changed ownership in the same week.