According to Deadline.com, TKO executives Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro are entering the NFL by purchasing individual minority stakes in the Las Vegas Raiders. Each of them will acquire stakes of less than 10% in the team once the deal is finalized, which is expected to occur by the end of the month.
The majority owner of the Raiders is Mark Davis, who took over the franchise after his father, Al, passed away in 2011. In recent years, Davis has sold portions of the team, with notable buyers including Tom Brady. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently reported that Egon Durban, the head of Silver Lake, which has a controlling interest in TKO and WME Group, is looking to increase his ownership in the team to 22%. NFL owners will soon vote on this proposal.
It’s important to note that Shapiro and Emanuel’s stakes are personal investments and are not connected to TKO, WME, or MARI. TKO conducts significant business in Las Vegas, where the UFC is headquartered, and WWE has hosted WrestleMania for the past two years. Throughout his career, Shapiro has worked with the NFL extensively, including securing the Monday Night Football rights for ESPN in 2005 while he was with that company.
