WWE® Launches NIL Program: Next in Line™
December 02 2021 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
New Program to Provide Clear Pathway from
Collegiate Athletics to WWE
WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced the launch of a groundbreaking
NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that will provide a clear
pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.
Following a historic new policy by the NCAA effective July 1,
2021, which ushered in the NIL era allowing college athletes the
ability to monetize their name, image and likeness, WWE has
constructed a comprehensive program to recruit and develop
potential future Superstars. Dubbed “Next In Line™,” the NIL
program aims to enhance the talent development process through
collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse
athletic backgrounds.
“The WWE NIL program has the potential to be transformational to
our business,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President,
Global Talent Strategy and Development. “By creating partnerships
with elite athletes at all levels across a wide variety of college
sports, we will dramatically expand our pool of talent and create a
system that readies NCAA competitors for WWE once their collegiate
careers come to a close.”
All athlete partnerships will feature access to the
state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in
addition to resources across the organization including brand
building, media training, communications, live event promotion,
creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the
NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to
be offered a WWE contract.
In September, WWE announced its first NIL deal with heavyweight
freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson who captured a gold medal at the
Tokyo Olympics. The agreement allowed Steveson to return to the
University of Minnesota for his senior season where he is defending
his NCAA National Championship while beginning his Superstar
training with WWE.
WWE will unveil the first class of NIL partnerships in the
coming weeks.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated
media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment.
The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and
deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE
is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television
programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms.
WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 900 million homes
worldwide in 28 languages through world-class distribution partners
including NBCUniversal, FOX Sports, BT Sport, Sony India and
Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all live
pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand
library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In
the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is
the exclusive home to WWE Network.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at
wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
Trademarks: All WWE programming,
talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves,
trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE
and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights
are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This
press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the
safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These
risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating
to: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business, results of
operations and financial condition; entering, maintaining and
renewing major distribution agreements; a rapidly evolving media
landscape; WWE Network (including the risk that we are unable to
attract, retain and renew subscribers); our need to continue to
develop creative and entertaining programs and events; the
possibility of a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports
entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the
services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the
regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the
highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented
nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial
resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors;
uncertainties associated with international markets including
possible disruptions and reputational risks; our difficulty or
inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other
businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our
dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect
those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’
intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights
agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas;
potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or
injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including
without limitation, claims alleging traumatic brain injury; large
public events as well as travel to and from such events; our
feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary
businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and
online operations; privacy norms and regulations; a possible
decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial
markets; our accounts receivable; our indebtedness including our
convertible notes; litigation; our potential failure to meet market
expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely
affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercises control over our
affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our
Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares are eligible
for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of
possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and
the volatility of our Class A common stock. In addition, our
dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among
other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow,
strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our
financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions
on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit
facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such
other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the
date made and are subject to change without any obligation on the
part of the Company to update or revise them. Undue reliance should
not be placed on these statements. For more information about risks
and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please
refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of
the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our
annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211202005577/en/
Media: Greg Domino 973-620-1025
Greg.Domino@wwecorp.com Investor:
Michael Weitz 203-352-8642 Michael.Weitz@wwecorp.com
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