TKO revving up more sponsor deals for WWE

Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, TKO’s Mark Shapiro said that WWE will have “a ton of global partnership deals” taking effect in this second half of 2026, noting they will be “all high margin.”

WWE’s massive sponsorship push throughout its live events is often a point of contention among fans, who argue there are too many ads, promotional spots, and product placements in and around the ring.

Shapiro said WWE’s partnership revenue growth only saw a 2% increase in Q1 and 8% increase in Q2 but that was mainly due to many international events in the first half of 2026.

Joining Shapiro was TKO chief Ari Emanuel, who also said that Netflix are incredible partners for WWE and TKO in general and noted that WWE viewing is up “significantly” especially on an international basis.