[10] The merger marked the first time that WWE has not been solely and primarily majority-controlled by the McMahon family, which founded the company and owned it for over 70 years.

The current legal entity, which was originally named Titan Sports, Inc., was incorporated on February 21, 1980, in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, but reincorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law in 1987.

After buying the WWF, Vince McMahon expanded the promotion by overturning the NWA's territory system and holding events around the United States and the world which were televised on a global basis.

[18] In January 1993, WWF introduced its live, weekly episodic television show, Monday Night Raw.

[21] WWE's majority owner was its executive chairman, third-generation wrestling promoter Vince McMahon, who retained a 38.6% ownership of the company's outstanding stock and 81.1% of the voting power before the merger.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), initially under the ownership of the Semaphore Entertainment Group, was founded by American businessman Art Davie and Brazilian martial artist Rorion Gracie with their partners in WOW Promotions.

[25] Six years later in 2001, Zuffa, a sports promotion company headed by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, purchased the UFC from the Semaphore Entertainment Group.

[37] When the merger was first announced in April 2023, Emanuel stated that it would "bring together two leading pureplay sports and entertainment companies" and provide "significant operating synergies".

[33] McMahon stated that "family businesses have to evolve for all the right reasons",[32] and that "given the incredible work that Ari and Endeavor have done to grow the UFC brand — nearly doubling its revenue over the past seven years — and the immense success we've already had in partnering with their team on a number of ventures, I believe that this is without a doubt the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders.

Grant alleged that she was subjected to "extreme cruelty and degradation" by McMahon, including being defecated upon during a sexual encounter.

In a statement, McMahon said the decision was made "out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees".

[43][44][45][46] In July 2024, TKO Group announced an investment in EverPass Media, an NFL-backed distributor of streaming pay television content to commercial establishments.

He explained that TKO was interested in league ownership and "businesses that can power our current sports ecosystem", while the company stated that it would "[expand] TKO's operational footprint in the fast-growing premium sports market and enables direct participation in the upside from partner leagues and events."

[52][51] There is currently one vacancy due to former Executive Chairman Vince McMahon’s resignation on January 26, 2024 following sex trafficking and sexual assault allegations involving a former WWE employee.