Ari Emanuel says TKO, the parent company of WWE and UFC, is not going to be sold. Emanuel made the comments on "The Town with Matt Belloni" podcast while promoting his book "Roll the Calls," according to Post Wrestling and 411Mania.
Asked who the ideal buyer for TKO would be, Emanuel answered, "TKO," Post Wrestling reported. He went on to say, "Egon Durban, myself, there's no chance that is happening. Zero."
Belloni pressed him on potential buyers. Paramount, Amazon and Comcast came up, 411Mania reported, and Emanuel rejected each. When Belloni said TKO would someday be for sale, Emanuel replied, "No, it won't."
Emanuel's argument rested on the value of what TKO owns. Post Wrestling reported that he pointed to the four leagues TKO owns and called the company "an incredible asset" whose value continues to rise. According to 411Mania, he said he expects economic growth and advances in AI to give people more leisure time and more money to spend on entertainment and live sports, which he said makes owning sports assets an exceptionally valuable long-term holding.
Post Wrestling also reported that Emanuel discussed UFC media rights and Paramount during the conversation, and that he said he no longer represents David Ellison. He added that UFC will reach a larger audience through Pluto TV, according to the same report. Post Wrestling listed Paramount, Amazon and Ellison among the names that came up in the discussion of potential buyers.
Emanuel's remarks addressed a sale of the company and nothing else about its leadership or ownership. TKO has not been reported to have commented beyond Emanuel's own words on the podcast.
