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The TKO Era: Endeavor’s WWE-UFC Merger is Official as New Stock Goes Live

Vince McMahon, Ari Emanuel, Dana White — the gang’s all here. In a historic moment for sports and entertainment, here’s what you need to know about the all-new TKO stock.

The past weekend brought us Sean Strickland’s upset stunner over Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight championship in Sydney, Australia. And while the Endeavor-owned MMA promotion’s purportedly $21 billion merger with World Wrestling Entertainment has been a known fact since springtime, things finally became official this week with some opening bell fanfare New York Stock Exchange — and the implications are far more seismic than anything Strickland delivered inside the octagon.

On a dais that included WWE CEO Vince McMahon, UFC President Dana White, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, and a who’s-who of executives and talent, the a new era began under the banner of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and its brand-new TKO stock.

So, what’s changing and what’s staying the same in this brave new world following the long-heralded WWE-UFC merger? Let’s talk C-suite, which NFL and NBA execs are on the new board of directors, and key details regarding the big TKO stock debut.

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TKO Stock Goes Live at the NYSE

So, now that this new company is a real thing and officially listed on the NYSE, here are the most important things investors need to know about TKO’s stock, as tracked by CNBC:

  • Opening price: $102 per share
  • High price: $103 per share (as of 11:45 a.m. ET on Sept. 12)
  • Day’s trading volume: 231,724 (as of 11:45 a.m. ET on Sept. 12)
  • Total shares outstanding: 83,160,000
  • Market cap: $8,516,000,000

Under the TKO Holdings structure, Endeavor owns 51% of shares of TKO stock as of this morning’s opening bell, while previous WWE shareholders retained 49%. As the largest individual shareholder, Vince McMahon — who held a reported 18.5% of WWE shares at the time of the UFC merger — serves as Executive Chairman of the Board.

UFC and WWE Merger Means a New Corporate Structure

Company principals

  • CEO: Ari Emanuel, who remains Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor
  • President & COO: Mark Shapiro, who remains in both capacities at Endeavor
  • CFO: Andrew Schleimer
  • CLO: Seth Krauss, who remains Chief Legal Officer at Endeavor

TKO Board of Directors

  • Vince McMahon, Executive Chairman, WWE
  • Peter Bynoe, Senior Advisor, DLA Piper LLP
  • Egon Durban, Co-CEO, Silver Lake
  • Steve Koonin, CEO, Atlanta Hawks
  • Jonathan Kraft, President, Kraft Group (New England Patriots, New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium)
  • Sonya Medina, President & CEO, Reach Resilience
  • Nancy Tellem, Executive Chairperson and Chief Media Officer, Eko
  • Carrie Wheeler, CEO and a board member, Opendoor Technologies Inc.

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Sam Dunn

Sam Dunn is the Managing Editor of Boardroom. Before joining the team, he was an editor and multimedia talent for several sports and culture verticals at Minute Media and an editor, reporter, and site manager at SB Nation. A specialist in content strategy, copywriting, and SEO, he has additionally worked as a digital consultant in the corporate services, retail, and tech industries. He cannot be expected to be impartial on any matter regarding the Florida Gators or Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter @RealFakeSamDunn.

About The Author
Sam Dunn
Sam Dunn
Sam Dunn is the Managing Editor of Boardroom. Before joining the team, he was an editor and multimedia talent for several sports and culture verticals at Minute Media and an editor, reporter, and site manager at SB Nation. A specialist in content strategy, copywriting, and SEO, he has additionally worked as a digital consultant in the corporate services, retail, and tech industries. He cannot be expected to be impartial on any matter regarding the Florida Gators or Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter @RealFakeSamDunn.