TKO President Mark Shapiro Says They Take UFC Fighter And WWE Superstar Pay Increases ‘Very Seriously’
UFC fighter pay and WWE superstar pay have been a topic of conversation for the longest time, and continue to be a topic as TKO announces new profit records seemingly every quarter.
Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, TKO President Mark Shapiro was asked about the margin guidance and if TKO would invest that into fighter and superstar pay.
“Our margins last year were, adjusted for EBITDA, 33.5%. We have announced that midpoint in our guidance, we’re going to be roughly 39.6%, and that margin is inclusive of an increase of fighter and superstar pay. We take that very seriously,” he said.
Shapiro noted that fighter bonuses were doubled at the start of the year, in line with UFC starting on Paramount+.
He continued, “We are focused on all the ingredients that make our events what they are, and that starts with fighters and superstars. Whatever increases we have, and we will have increases, that are inclusive of the margins and guidance we have targeted.”
Elsewhere during the conference, Shapiro commented on WWE on ESPN viewership. You can find his full comments here.
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