Endeavor, Majority Owner Of WWE Parent Company TKO, Goes Private

Following the news last year that TKO parent company Endeavor was going private, the move has finally been made official, according to a report from Wrestlenomics. The outlet stated that the change won't have a major effect on WWE, as TKO will remain a publicly-traded company and no significant personnel or policy shake-ups are expected.

As part of the transition, Endeavor will become known as WME Group, as a reference to the company's previous name — William Morris Endeavor. The company is now owned by a private equity firm known as Silver Lake. Ari Emanuel, who previously served as the CEO of Endeavor, will now function as the Executive Chairman of WME Group. Similarly, Mark Shapiro's title will change from President and Chief Operating Officer to President and Managing Partner.

With Endeavor/WME now exiting the stock market, the report noted that the company's shares are trading at roughly the same price that they were when the stock debuted in 2021. This would be seen as a disappointment to many, but according to the company, the deal with Silver Lake marks the most expensive agreement to take a company private in history. The deal valued Endeavor at $25 billion and offered stockholders with the company $27.50 per share.

In addition to TKO, WME Group's holdings include talent agencies, PR firms, and media brands. With WME owning 59% of TKO, the subsidiary will continue having stocks traded on the market. In addition to WWE, TKO's assets consist of the UFC, the PBR bull riding league, a talent agency called IMG, and a live events company called On Location Experiences.