From the WWE Rumor Mill: Vince McMahon to sell WWE?
What’s the story?
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Vince McMahon may be open to selling WWE. His change of heart towards selling the biggest wrestling promotion is said to have changed following the sale of UFC and the creation of his new venture Alpha Entertainment.
In case you didn’t know…
UFC was sold for $4 billion in the summer after Dana White decided to cash out on 15 years of running the MMA organisation when Beverly Hills talent agency WME-IMG came calling. However, he is still the president, minority owner and day-to-day promoter of the company.
The heart of the matter
Dave Meltzer, while speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, said that Vince McMahon's attitude towards selling changed after the mega-money deal for UFC went ahead. Before the $4 billion UFC deal went through, most rumours of WWE being sold were quickly refuted.
It was revealed this week that Vince McMahon has invested in a non-wrestling entity called Alpha Entertainment. A spokesman recently addressed rumours of an XFL return, saying this will be completely separate from WWE and is being touted for investment in the sports, entertainment and specifically football worlds.
According to Forbes, in 2016, the revenue generated by UFC and WWE was said to be very similar, too. WWE actually raked in more than UFC in 2015, but it was thought that WWE's valuation was closer to £1.5 billion - less than half of UFC's.
However, since then, WWE's stock has continued to rise. In fact, today, it has hit a peak for the year, and the highest point for the past 17 years. This comes following a steady recovery after a plummet in March 2014, where stocks halved in value.
What’s next?
Well, we all know the stock price can change in a heartbeat, and we don't normally hear much about offers unless the news is leaked out and these things can happen very suddenly. For many, Vince McMahon is WWE and it was thought he would never so much as acknowledge an offer for the company he has given his all to for pretty much the entirety of his life.
The strongest options thought to be in place for the future where that WWE would one day be under the control of Shane or Stephanie McMahon, or the outside option of his son-in-law, Triple H.
The idea of an outsider buying the company has always been here, but the big question is, who would? Who could afford it? With the product being PG, one of the most memorable rumours was Disney. After recent news of their acquisitions this week, you never know.
Author’s take
The fact that Vince may be open to offers is very interesting, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll entertain them. There's a good chance Vince would want the deal to be monumental and record-shattering if one went ahead.
His love for the business may indeed counter his aspiration to sell - so you can bet he will make sure any deal will be the right one and help enhance the WWE brand and not just to line his pockets.