TKO president confirms restructuring of WWE and UFC athlete compensation

TKO President Mark Shapiro confirmed that the company has resized athlete pay contracts for both WWE and UFC to bolster profitability. Speaking at a Goldman Sachs conference, Shapiro stated that the adjustments are integrated into the current financial strategy and will not result in further adverse impacts. This restructuring follows TKO’s acquisition of WWE, which has included various changes to operations and talent compensation. Recent reports indicate that several experienced WWE wrestlers were asked to accept pay cuts, with some performers reportedly facing reductions exceeding 50 percent of their contract value. Shapiro emphasized the organization’s reliance on its internal development pipeline, noting that 75 percent of current WWE superstars originate from the NXT developmental brand. The company intends to continue utilizing marketing and advertising partnerships to maintain its revenue strategy while recruiting top talent across both combat sports rosters.

• 1:30 PMWrestling Inc — TKO's Mark Shapiro: 'We Did Resize Our Fighter And Superstar Pay Composition'