WWE and UFC's merger sets off a "powerful debut"
In the dynamic world of entertainment and space exploration, 2023 has been a year of unprecedented achievements.
The sports entertainment giants, WWE and UFC, have both seen a surge in viewership and revenue. Each WWE premium live event set a new viewership record, while UFC live events revenue increased an impressive 34% to a record $168 million. UFC segment revenue also saw a significant boost, reaching $1.3 billion, a 13% increase from the previous year. The TKO Group, which oversees both UFC and WWE, reported record financial performance in 2023, with a full-year revenue increase of 47%.
Ari Emanuel, the CEO of TKO, announced a groundbreaking deal in 2024. He revealed that WWE's Raw would be moving to Netflix, set to debut in 2025. This strategic move is expected to further boost WWE's viewership and revenue.
In the realm of space exploration, the race is on. The FCC claims to be dominating Space Race 2.0, while SpaceX's Starlink and AST SpaceMobile are vying for cellular consumers. It is speculated that Starlink could disrupt the US Cellular sector, adding another layer of competition to the space race.
However, not all news is positive. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is facing the possibility of complete collapse, a stark contrast to the successes seen elsewhere.
Meanwhile, in India, there is much to fight for in the space race. There might be trouble for foreign Direct-to-Home (D2D) satellites over India, indicating a growing competitive landscape.
Investors are also showing optimism towards EchoStar and AST SpaceMobile, with a bank upping its investment in AST SpaceMobile and another expressing optimism about potential growth from EchoStar. TKO Group also secured a significant partnership with Anheuser-Busch, making them the official beer partner of UFC.
As we move forward, it's clear that both the entertainment and space industries are poised for continued growth and competition. The successes of 2023 serve as a promising indicator for the future.
