Question · Q3 2025
Vikram Kassava Botla inquired about TKO's initial reactions to WWE's new relationship with ESPN, specifically how the first couple of Premium Live Events (PLEs) performed relative to expectations and the potential benefits of this partnership, including ESPN's marketing capabilities.
Answer
President and COO Mark Shapiro expressed thrill with the start of the ESPN relationship, noting wall-to-wall coverage for WrestlePalooza across all ESPN platforms, including prominent talent promoting the event. CFO Andrew Schleimer added that ESPN is one of the best marketing partners in media, and TKO has seen this firsthand with UFC. He also highlighted the importance of ESPN's efforts to renew distribution partner deals to allow free authentication for ESPN D2C subscribers, which TKO is closely monitoring.
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