By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
TKO executives hosted a conference call on the company’s first quarter earnings report that was released on May 6, 2026, at TKOgrp.com. The following are the WWE-related highlights of the call. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
-TKO Senior VP of Investor Relations Seth Zaslow read through the legalities.
-CEO Ari Emanuel, President and COO Mark Shapiro, and CFO Andrew Schleimer hosted the call. Shapiro and Schleimer will handle the Q&A portion. Emanuel delivered brief opening remarks, including mentioning that they have allocated $1 billion for stock buybacks.
-Shapiro addressed the scheduled shows for WWE and UFC in the Middle East. He said they are “firmly moving ahead with our scheduled events.”
-Shapiro said Saudi Arabia remains committed to TKO and will not be pulling funding, as they’ve done for LIV Golf.
-Shapiro boasted that the appetite for their live events is “resilient and durable.”
-Shapiro said they are not concerned about WrestleMania 42 ticket sales. He said it was unrealistic to expect growth running back-to-back years. He said they listen to all feedback regarding creative and the use of celebrity, but he stressed that these are not new criticisms.
-Schleimer walked listeners through the financial report highlights. He said they are closely watching the situation in the Middle East and tracking the government advisories. They opened the phones for questions.
-The first caller asked about the WWE fan backlash. Shapiro once again stated that they take all fan feedback seriously. He said WWE is new to commercial integration. He spoke about ads and trailers in movie theaters, and some major league sports advertising. “Our product comes first,” Shapiro said. He said marketers realize that their product is strong. He said they want access to their IP. He said they work to give them the access while trying to maintain the right balance. He described the audience as resilient. Shapiro added that while that doesn’t mean they feel like they can do anything, they have had record viewership, attendance, and engagement. The caller had a follow-up question that was cut off. Shapiro listened to the next caller’s question and then said they would cycle back to the first caller.
-Shapiro responded to questions that pertained to UFC and Zuffa Boxing by saying they are excited and anxious for the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger to be approved. He also spoke about how their Middle East partners are eager to show that they are open for business.
-They went back to the first caller, who asked about criticisms of UFC shows and what they are doing to improve. Shapiro pushed back against the criticism. He raved about how a recent show blew away the fans. He also said they don’t pick who wins. He said there are ebbs and flows. Shapiro recalled NBA business dipping after Michael Jordan retired. He mentioned Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant coming along and reigniting NBA business.
-Shapiro spoke about how Paramount+ users aren’t just watching the UFC fights, they are watching the ancilary content. He said the same thing is happening on Netflix with WWE fans watching the WWE Unreal show.
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