Vince McMahon appears to have changed his mind on a long-running sponsorship rule.
Much to the annoyance of some fans, brand integration has been increasing at major WWE shows and has been more noticeable than ever. Many criticised the use of Cinnamon Toast Crunch to sponsor the blowoff to the personal rivalry between Rey and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania. The heavy sponsorship was also seen at SummerSlam, with Bianca Belair’s C4 energy endorsed entrance telegraphing the result of the match as The EST came out last despite not being the champion.
While big brands have sponsored entrances and guard rails, the ring has remained a blank canvas throughout WWE’s history. However, according to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, that could be set to change.
Speaking at the TKO Q3 investors call, Emanuel was asked if there are plans to increase sponsorships further following the merger between WWE and UFC. Emanuel confirmed that McMahon is open to utilising the marketing strategy of the MMA titan in the sports entertainment world:
“Vince [Vince McMahon] has been very open….before he was clean in the ring and around. He is now very open to increasing the inventory that we can work with like we increased the inventory at the UFC, very happy about that and we think there are huge opportunities around the stadium. That’s a good sign. We are starting, in some territories, looking at a Friday night, Saturday night, and Monday night for both WWE, UFC, and WWE again. That will give us an indication of our ability to put that on. Once we can prove that model, I think we can take it globally and move it domestically pretty easily.”
“I’ll re-emphasize that there is a ton of inventory now that Vince and the team are opening up at the WWE for us.”
There have been exceptions to the rule, with the WrestleMania 12 logo seen on the mat in Anaheim, California and TapOut’s logo seen on the canvas throughout the Cruiserweight Classic.
As seen at major UFC events, the sponsor’s logos are placed all around the octagon mat and on the steel support beams, meaning that at least one logo is always seen on screen throughout the fight no matter the camera angle.
Vince McMahon Cited As A Financial Risk
Although McMahon was complimented by Emanuel during the investors call, the latest SEC filing by TKO Holdings tells a different story as Vince McMahon is named as a potential “risk factor.”
H/t to Fightful.