WWE/MLW settlement amount revealed

[Chris]

The two promotions reached a settlement in December 2023. Financial details were not disclosed at the time, but they were made public in TKO Group Holding's 2023 business report that was released on Tuesday. The report reveals that WWE agreed to pay $20 million in the settlement:

For the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023, the Company’s consolidated pre-tax results included $34.2 million in costs related to certain litigation matters at UFC and WWE, including the impact of a $20.0 million charge related to the settlement of an antitrust lawsuit at WWE. A reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA for the three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 can be found in the supplemental schedule on page 14 of this release.

In a form filed with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), it's explicitly stated that the settlement was with MLW:

On January 11, 2022, a complaint was filed against WWE by MLW Media LLC ('MLW'), captioned MLW Media LLC v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., No. 5:22-cv-00179-EJD (N.D. Cal.), alleging that WWE interfered with MLW’s contractual relationship with certain media platforms and engaged in other anticompetitive and unfair business practices in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and California law. On December 22, 2023, the parties notified the court that they had entered into a settlement agreement in the amount of $20.0 million and stipulated that the case should be voluntarily dismissed with prejudice. In light of the settlement, the case was dismissed with prejudice on December 26, 2023.

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/mlw/wwe-mlw-lawsuit-settlement-was-for-20-million

 

[Cwalker]

Damn they got paid.

Crazy thing is that’s a drop in the bucket for WWE

 

[Kross Rhodes]

I had a feeling Court was gonna get paid after NXT signed with CW.

This explains why MLW have been bringing back a lot of former talent and signing new talent as well. MLW can stretch that new seed money pretty far.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Sami must have gotten PAID paid.

 

[King Kota]

MLW gonna use the money sign Scott?

 

[Bobby Barrows]

I also wouldn't be surprised if MLW leverages that money to get on live TV.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

I also wouldn't be surprised if MLW leverages that money to get on live TV.

That would be the smart play. And interestingly enough that’s how they won the money in the first place they were on TV not a great channel mind you, but they were on it for about two months and change until a WWE deal killed it.

 

[Bobby Barrows]

There's plenty of channels that right now would probably kill to have wrestling on their TV now that were essentially in a new golden age of wrestling.

 

[Tyler2]

Is msl still working there? Probably the main reason I don't keep up with mlw

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Is msl still working there? Probably the main reason I don't keep up with mlw

His wtf faction is honestly one of the more entertaining things on the show, imo.

 

[Tyler2]

His wtf faction is honestly one of the more entertaining things on the show, imo.

Oh really? I hate to make it personal but I considered him somewhat of a friend until he tried to play heel on me and went too far. Then he tried to to mess with a ring announcer and I think that's why he no longer wrestled lmao