Eric Bischoff Talks AEW – UFC Deal – Speaking to TMZ Sports, Eric Bischoff expressed his surprise that Vince McMahon sold the company, though did say that he had called the sale to Endeavor.
Addressing changes to the product in the near future, Bischoff said:
“There’s always going to be a change, right? I don’t think we’re gonna see anything over the next six months or a year that will be noticeable to us.
“There may be some management announcements made along the way, but, for the most part, I think it’s going to be business as usual for quite some time.”
Bischoff would reflect on the AOL/Time Warner merger that took place when he was in charge of WCW, adding:
“Someone told me once… that you really don’t notice the cultural impact of a merger or sale for at least a year or eighteen months after the fact. That’s when you really start noticing the difference.”
Looking to crossover talents between the two companies before discussing real-world business benefits, Bischoff said:
“We’ve seen a lot of that over the years. I don’t know how much value that has for both companies.
“It would make sense that we see more of it, but I think the real tangible benefits that we’ll be seeing down the road are going to be synergies.
“You look at the WWE business model, you look at the UFC business model, they’re two separate businesses – one is fictional storytelling, the other is sport – but there’s a lot of… parallels in their business plan. You’ve got live events, arena events, you’ve got PPV, you’ve got streaming, you’ve got ad sales, you’ve got international television rights, you’ve got licensing and merchandising.
“You’ve got a lot of areas that I think UFC could benefit from the maturity that WWE has in some of those businesses. UFC is a relatively new business and WWE has been around for decades and really has a sophisticated business model.”
Bischoff would conclude that the deal would not alter the landscape of the wider wrestling world as the company has already laid the “sports entertainment” foundations that companies like AEW are building upon.
He would also say that the UFC/WWE merger under Endeavor is a “good move” for those involved and it’s a great time to be in the “sports entertainment business.”
Eric Bischoff Talks AEW – UFC Deal
