Endeavor President Mark Shapiro: WWE Could Benefit From Apparel Deal, We Won’t Over-Commercialize It
By the end of the year, WWE and UFC, under the Endeavor umbrella, will merge to become one publicly traded company named TKO Group.
Endeavor already owns the UFC, and has expanded their business with various deals and events, and will now “run the same playbook” when it comes to WWE. With Endeavor, UFC has signed various apparel and sponsorship deals to put on gear, the mat, corners, and more.
Appearing on the Sports Media podcast with Richard Deitsch, Endeavor President Mark Shapiro was asked if WWE could take a similar approach in putting sponsorships on the mat, wrestler gear, and more.
“We haven’t finished this transaction, we’re still running through this process, we’re not making any decisions. We’re not in control, so I’m not going to forecast what we may or may not do. I’ll speak to you from a point of view of why we thought it was so attractive. Yes, all of those are opportunities. You want to be authentic, seamless, organic, and true to your audience. We’re not going to put a brand on somebody’s robe walking to the ring. Do UFC fighters wear Venom apparel and Project Rock shoes? Yes, they do. Could WWE benefit from an apparel deal as such, a shoe deal as such? Absolutely. We’re not going to over-commercialize it. We’re not going to saturate it to the point that we cheap it out and trick it out, and you turn off the fanbase. You have to figure out what’s right in the ring, in the Octagon, what’s right in the arena, indoor and outdoor. What’s right with the fighters and the participants, and you have to walk before you run,” he said.
Nick Khan recently stated that WWE was open for business when it came to putting sponsorships on the ring mat and more. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
WWE does have a deal with Fanatics, who is the licensed merchandiser for the company.
Learn more about WWE and UFC merged company being called TKO Group by clicking here.
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