WWE And TKO Group Owner, Endeavor, Taken Private By Investment Firm Silver Lake

SI Wrestling Staff | Mar 24, 2025

IMAGO / MediaPunch

Endeavor, the parent company to TKO Group, has been taken private.

The news was announced last year that majority stakeholder Silver Lake had planned the move, and it was finally completed and made official today.

TKO Group, the parent company of WWE, UFC, PBR, On Location and IMG, will stay public.

TKO Group Twitter

Per the press release, Silver Lake and its investors have acquired 100% of the oustanding shares of Endeavor they did not already own. Current Endeavor stockholders will receive $27.50 per share while the company will cease trading and be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. Silver Lake estimates the value of the company to $25 billion.

Endeavor will continue as the privately held parent company for TKO Group and the newly formed WME Group, which includes the portfolio of representation businesses that includes talent agency WME (formerly William Morris Endeavor), global marketing agency 160over90, IMG licensing and Pantheon Media Group.

Familiar TKO Group names also have new roles. Mark Shapiro is now President and Managing Partner of WME Group, while Ari Emanuel is now Executive Chairman of WME Group.

MORE: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's TKO Stake Is Skyrocketing

Shapiro said, "Our ability to deliver landmark partnerships, career-defining business opportunities, and enduring cultural moments is amplified by this transaction and the formation of WME Group. The Silver Lake team has proven time and again that they are all-in on representation and content, and our clients, partners, and employees will thrive under our new structure.”

Ari Emanuel also commented, saying: "“I am grateful to Egon and the team at Silver Lake for the trust they have placed in me as a founder and entrepreneur. Together, we have created and enhanced a foundation unlike any other to accelerate value creation for clients and partners across WME Group and TKO, which I am excited to continue to build and grow.”

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