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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of TKO's second quarter 2026 earnings call coverage.
Seth Zaslow welcomed everyone to the call.
Ari Emanuel read prepared remarks. He pushed that live events still command the lion's share of consumers' wallets.
Marc Shapiro ran through the numbers from the earnings call. They added 25 new marketing partners in the quarter, many for multiple years. He praised 18,000 fans for WWF Night of Champions. All of their shows in Middle East are still set as planned through the end of the year.
He wanted to address "chatter" about WWE viewership. He noted they have added many new markets for Netflix. Wrestlemania Night One was the highest viewed event on ESPN2 this year. Smackdown was top for adults 18-49 in 9 of 14 weeks.
Andrew Schleimer began breaking down the numbers for the quarter.
After 38 minutes of reciting what was in the release, they went to the Q&A session. We will cover anything WWE related here.
They were asked about keeping and building engagement domestic and internationally. They are as focused on that as they are on reach. The catalyst for the company are simple. They have no hidden recipes when it comes to TKO. Global partnerships, financial incentive package and live ticket sales and media deals.
They are bullish about future WWE international potential with Netflix as more markets open up.
They were asked about WWE live events, asking them specifically about this year's Wrestlemania and whether it has made them re-evaluate their live event strategy. They said WWE events were impacted by Mania 42 vs. 41. They did stage more international events this year vs. last year's quarter. This was deliberate to grow the fan base, as was going back to Vegas this year. They earned a meaningful financial package to return. They view the events as not just live but meaningful events that drive engagements with their fans.
Not much WWE talk. A nothing burger of a call.
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