– It’s only been six days into the new year and we already have one of the biggest headlines of 2023. Vince McMahon is back in WWE. He returned to the board on Friday, January 6, along with George Barrios and Michelle Wilson. Mr. McMahon returned to the company to oversee future TV rights and an eventual sale of the company.
Since this is Vince McMahon, fans have been wondering if his return would result in him regaining more control over the company’s product on WWE TV. But the day-to-day business of WWE will probably not change, as WWE told its employees in an interview last night.
Fightful Select provided backstage updates on the recent SmackDown show. According to the report, Vince McMahon was not present at the show. One person present at Friday’s show was William Regal, who has now officially returned to WWE after leaving AEW late last year.
Under the title of Executive Chairman, McMahon now wants to help facilitate a sale of the company ahead of the renewal of the media rights deal. In another update, CNBC reports: “WWE has hired JPMorgan to advise the company on a potential sale, according to people familiar with the matter.”
Should there be a sale, it is expected to take place within the next three to six months. According to CNBC, there are at least eight companies interested in buying WWE.
At the top of the list are Comcast and FOX, two networks that already air WWE programming. Comcast owns NBCUniversal, which already has a deal to air WWE Network on the Peacock streaming service, in addition to airing “WWE Raw” on USA Network.
FOX has also had a TV contract for the live broadcast of “WWE SmackDown” on Friday evenings since 2019. Disney might have some interest, especially when it comes to streaming, merchandising, and integrating the company into its theme park business.
Warner Bros. Discovery has a history in the pro wrestling business, and their TV deal with AEW expires later this year. Netflix and Amazon are two streaming providers that may be interested, with the latter dabbling in live soccer, baseball and football broadcasts.
Moreover, Endeavor Group Holdings is another name that has popped up after the UFC’s purchase in 2021. Rounding out the list is Liberty Media, whose shareholders have figured out how to market Formula 1 in a way that its global success “could provide a roadmap for future WWE strategy.”
– Tonight’s Raw will be held at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. No matches have been confirmed yet. However, two segments were announced.
Alexa Bliss will take the floor and explain her attack on Bianca Belair last Monday.
Austin Theory was able to defeat Seth Rollins. Who will be able to stop him in 2023?
Also confirmed for the show are: Bianca Belair, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bobby Lashley and Bayley.