TKO Group Holdings President and COO Mark Shapiro said the company is in talks with The Walt Disney Company about staging special events in 2027 that would pair WWE with Disney’s family-oriented brand. Shapiro made the comments while speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference.
“I’m excited for 2027 because we’re working with the Walt Disney Company on some special events around Disney and WWE and bringing those two audiences together since, of course, what do they have in common? Family,” Shapiro said.
The comment came as Shapiro addressed questions about WWE’s sponsorship pace, which he said has been misread by some observers. Partnership revenue for WWE grew 2% and 8% in the first and second quarters of the year, respectively, a slowdown from the 92% growth WWE posted moving from 2024 into 2025. Shapiro attributed the dip to a heavy slate of international events early in the year rather than any softening in demand.
“For the year, WWE partnership alone will be up in excess of 20% versus last year,” Shapiro said. “And what that means is we’re going to have a big back end of the year for WWE. And by the way, that’s with having three fewer events in the third quarter.”
Shapiro said the acceleration is being driven by the timing of new sponsorship signings, a heavier mix of domestic events, holistic ad-inventory packages and WWE’s positioning as a family-first product distinct from UFC’s audience.
“We’re scoring on the family first message,” he said. “Remember, WWE is a different audience than the UFC. And when it comes to going after families, that’s our audience. And I think advertisers are starting to see that.”
The Disney discussions fit into TKO’s broader 2027 outlook, which Shapiro said will be stronger than many currently expect, even without the tailwind of marquee events like the Milan Olympics or the World Cup that boosted 2025 results through TKO’s On Location business. He said more detail on 2027 guidance will come alongside fourth-quarter earnings and an investor day at the end of the first quarter.
TKO has set a companywide goal of $1.2 billion in global partnerships revenue by 2030, and Shapiro indicated that target could be revised upward given current sponsorship momentum. He also pointed to the company’s media rights relationships with Paramount, Netflix and ESPN as continuing to expand reach and engagement across WWE and UFC properties heading into 2027 planning.
No additional details on the scope, format or timing of the potential Disney-WWE events were disclosed.sclosed.
