Bloomberg.com has published an article analyzing which media companies would be in the running to purchase WWE, in the event that Vince McMahon decided to sell his controlling stake in the company.
Robert Routh, an analyst at National Alliance Capital Markets, questions,
“What is [Vince] McMahon’s succession plan and who will he pass the keys of the kingdom to? WWE would be very attractive to many different types of buyers. What they’ve built can’t be recreated. But without McMahon’s blessing, it doesn’t matter how much somebody is willing to pay for the company.”
Among the comp companies that would be able to purchase WWE (currently valued at $2.3 billion):
- Comcast (Xfinity, NBC Universal, Universal Pictures)
- Disney (Disney, Pixar, Lucas Film, Muppets)
- Live Nation (world’s largest concert promoters)
- Madison Square Garden Co. (New York Knicks, New York Rangers, MSG Arena)
- Anschutz Entertainment Group (owners of the Staples Center)
- AMC Networks
Bloomberg states that any deal involving a potential sale of WWE would have to be structured similar to Disney’s purchase of Pixar, where the computer-animation studio operates independently even though it’s owned by Disney.
“That type of situation would probably be the most likely one as far as the McMahons being able to be comfortable” with sellingWWE, according to Kim Opiatowski, a New York-based analyst at Vertical Group. “It’s a question of a loss of control of the company. It’d be tough to take it out of the family’s hands unless they felt there was something so compelling or such a good strategic partnership opportunity.”
