If WWE is sold, don't expect a deal to come through right away, and certainly not as fast as some "insiders" were reporting this week when it was prematurely announced that WWE had completed a sale to the Saudi Private Investment Fund. Further reports once the dust settled on the initial rumor was that a deal had not been finalized and that these things take time, especially when you're dealing with billionaire owners making billion-dollar investments.It seems evident that Saudi Arabia is ‘in the hunt’ as WWE looks to see what possible buyers emerge. That said, according to Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer, this process could take some time and it is not expected that a sale would go through, if at all, until the middle part of 2023. Meltzer notes that sole CEO Nick Khan was doing his part earlier this week to facilitate a sale of WWE, with the goal of having a deal in place by this summer.Related: WWE Saudi Arabia Sale Reports Have Been Refuted, No Deal Currently In PlaceMeltzer explains, "Several media companies, the names that are out there, are all in the hunt. Nick Khan was in Los Angeles... went to the footbal game Monday night, so he wasn't at Raw. Met with some heavy hitters, because the heavy hitters went to the college football championship game." He added, "They're looking to sell by the middle of the year. JPMorgan is helping them." Some of the names out there include Disney, Endeavor, and other public companies.There's definitely smoke to the Saudi Arabia story but it's too early for a deal to be finalized Meltzer concluded.
Should Anyone Be Surprised?
The rumors that WWE was sold came in hot and heavy late in the evening. The story gathered momentum and pretty soon, some media outlets were saying that was a done deal. It seemed illogical to assume that a deal of this magnitude was going to be that simple to complete and so quickly. This was another example of not having all the information before many outlets reported on it, which is often the case in the wrestling industry.
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