TKO president Mark Shapiro used Wednesday’s investors call to address the online narrative around WWE WrestleMania 42 creative, both in his prepared remarks and during the Q&A. Shapiro acknowledged that TKO has been fielding investor questions about WWE demand and the state of creative, driven by online commentary and the year-over-year drop in WrestleMania ticket sales. He said the company was not concerned about the sales since it was unrealistic to expect WrestleMania 42 to surpass 41.
“As it relates to the creative, there will always be periodic fan dissatisfaction around creative execution, commercial load, and celebrity usage. We listen to all the feedback. We do not turn a deaf ear, but these are not new criticisms.”
Shapiro was not asked about Pat McAfee bringing the ticket sales discussion into WWE creative. McAfee was among the celebrities fans had grumbled about on social media. Asked again later about creative, Shapiro returned to the same theme.
“We take any and all feedback, especially from our core fanbase….extremely serious, high priority. We listen, we learn. At the same time, balancing the fan experience…with the business of sports is never easy whether you’re talking ticket prices or commercial integration. It’s as old as time and crosses genres.”
Fans watching WrestleMania 42 at home were heavily exposed to ads throughout both nights, with the frustration amplified by complaints about match times. Shapiro made comparisons to rising movie ticket prices, ESPN expanding commercial breaks on SportsCenter, NBA jersey sponsorship patches, naming rights at Dodger Stadium, and ad breaks during major sports events as things fans have complained about before and ultimately accepted.
“Change takes getting used to.”
He added that WWE is “truly new to commercial integration and sponsorship” and said “change will be more glaring for some as we inevitably commercially integrate.” Shapiro said TKO would experiment, push boundaries on certain events, and pull back on others, but reiterated that with WWE or UFC, “our product comes first” and that marketers want access to the company’s young, hard-to-reach, super passionate fanbase.
“Remember this: our audience is resilient. We don’t take it for granted. It doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want to do, absolutely not, quite the contrary. But, it is resilient. Currently, we are experiencing record attendance, record viewership, and record engagement.”
Shapiro earned $42.6 million in 2025, according to public records.
