Report: Tony and Shad Khan are “in the pool” of potential WWE buyers, most likely looking for a financial partner

According to a new report, Tony Khan and his family are in the pool of potential buyers for WWE.

BarronA sister publication to the Wall Street Journal reports that Tony Khan and his father, Shad, are among the names “in the pool” of potential suitors looking to buy WWE. Tony Khan previously mentioned that he is closely following Vince McMahon’s return to WWE.

According to the report, the Khan family will likely look for a financial partner if they want to acquire WWE as an asset.

In addition to the Khan family that owns the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC, Tony Khan bought Ring of Honor in March 2022, presiding over the company as ROH held the most profitable pay-per-view event in its 20-year history.

The report also mentions Endeavor and Comcast as potential buyers, but notes that an offer from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is more likely, given that WWE has a previous relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Rumors circulated that WWE had reached an agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund on Tuesday night, January 10th. As a result, WWE stock was up 3.4% on the morning of Wednesday, January 11, but since no confirmation of the deal appeared, the stock did. It closed down 0.8%. WWE has not made public comment regarding any potential deal.

That being said, any deal to buy WWE could potentially be in the billions of dollars. Benchmark’s Barron cited Mike Hickey, writing on Jan. 6, “We believe… that market considerations regarding the value of live content create the optimal setup for an acquisition bid… We believe it’s time to buy WWE. Business momentum is strong, and future growth prospects look promising.”

CNBC It was later reported that the Khan family would be interested in merging AEW with WWE. The report also states that the Khan family would be open to Vince McMahon for a potential role in the company after the sale. However, it is notable that AEW has not been in talks with McMahon or Nick Khan.

Vince McMahon officially became CEO of the Board of Directors on Tuesday, January 10th. On the same day, Stephanie McMahon resigned from her position as co-CEO of WWE.

WWE announced on January 12 that it had retained The Raine Group, LLC as financial advisor, Kirkland & Ellis LLP as legal advisor, and August LLC as strategic communications advisor to support WWE’s management team in reviewing strategic alternatives to maximize company and shareholder value. Learn more here

Vince McMahon’s return to power has already led to a lawsuit being filed against him by a WWE shareholder. Fans can read more about this situation here.

We will continue to monitor this story and report any and all updates.