More on Vince McMahon’s Return to WWE & Sale of Company: AEW Among The Interested Buyers

As noted before, WWE announced this past Friday that Vince McMahon has officially returned to the company and will be resuming his role as the Executive Chairman of their Board of Directors. As part of McMahon’s return, WWE is currently pursuing a potential sale of the company to a new owner with the expectation of it taking place by the middle of this year.

Axios reported that their sources stated that former co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and current WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque had both opposed WWE’s Board of Directors plans to potentially sell the company as part of McMahon’s return.

In regards to potential buyers for WWE, Barrons.com, sister publication of the Wall Street Journal, reported that their sources stated that AEW co-owners Shad and Tony Khan are among the current pool of potential buyers for WWE. It was reported that the Khan family likely will look for a financial partner to help finance a potential purchase due to the expected very high price tag for any sale of WWE. It was also reported that they currently believe that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund would be the favorite to purchase the company due to WWE’s current relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

CNBC reported that their sources stated that the Khan family is currently interesting in the idea of merging AEW with WWE should they end up purchasing the company. It was reported that the Khans “could partner with a strategic media company to share the intellectual property while merging the wrestling leagues.” It was also reported that neither Shad nor Tony Khan have yet to have any official talks with either Vince McMahon nor WWE CEO Nick Khan over a potential purchase of WWE. It was also reported that the potential of McMahon agreeing to sell his company and merge it with his smaller rival would be a “long shot.”

In regards to WWE itself, the company announced that they have recently hired the services of several outside advisors to help with their potential sale of the company.

Official press release:

WWE Engages Outside Advisors to Support Review of Strategic Alternatives

01/12/2023

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that it has retained The Raine Group, LLC as financial advisor, Kirkland & Ellis LLP as legal advisor, and August LLC as strategic communications advisor to support WWE’s management team and its Board of Directors in connection with a review of strategic alternatives to maximize value for all WWE stockholders and other stakeholders.

Vince McMahon, WWE’s Founder and Executive Chairman said, “WWE’s upcoming media rights cycle will take place amid a rapidly evolving media and entertainment landscape, and we believe exploring our strategic alternatives at this critical juncture will enable WWE to fully capitalize on the significant value of our intellectual property. I am highly confident that our outstanding Directors, outside advisors and executive team will provide valuable expertise and counsel to help guide the Company through this important process while our management team and employee base continue to deliver results and content our fans love.”

There can be no assurances given regarding the outcome or timing of the strategic alternatives review process. WWE does not intend to comment further until the process has concluded or the Company has otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required.