TKO Group Holdings 10-K 2023-12-31

Filed 2024-02-27. 19 sections, 681K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON

Cover and table of contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

___________________________________________________________________

FORM 10-K

___________________________________________________________________

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31**, 2023**
or
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ______ to ______

Commission File Number: 001-41797

TKO GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware92-3569035
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

200 Fifth Ave, 7th Floor

New York**,** NY 10010

(Address of principal executive offices)

(646) 558-8333

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per shareTKOThe New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large Accelerated Filer ¨Accelerated Filer ¨Non-Accelerated Filer xSmaller Reporting Company ¨Emerging Growth Company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. 

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. 

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes  No 

The registrant was not a public company as of June 30, 2023, the last business day of its most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and therefore cannot calculate the aggregate market value of its voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates as of such date. The registrant’s Class A common stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on September 12, 2023.

As of January 31, 2024, there were 82,321,595 shares of the Registrant’s Class A common stock outstanding and 89,616,891 shares of the Registrant’s Class B common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

None.

TABL****E OF CONTENTS

Forward Looking Statements3
Definitions4
Risk Factor Summary5
PART I
Item 1.Business6
Item 1A.Risk Factors14
Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments39
Item 2.Properties41
Item 3.Legal Proceedings41
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures41
PART II
Item 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities42
Item 6.[Reserved]43
Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations44
Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk57
Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data58
Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure58
Item 9A.Controls and Procedures58
Item 9B.Other Information58
Item 9C.Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections59
PART III
Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance59
Item 11.Executive Compensation63
Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters85
Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence87
Item 14.Principal Accounting Fees and Services93
PART IV
Item 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules94
Item 16.Form 10-K Summary97
Signatures98

‎

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEME****NTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). All statements other than statements of present and historical fact contained in this Annual Report, including without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated benefits of and costs associated with the Transactions (as defined below); our expectations surrounding the Transactions and our ability to grow our business and bolster our financial position; our expected contractual obligations and capital expenditures; our future results of operations and financial position; industry and business trends; the impact of market conditions and other macroeconomic factors on our busi

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

Investing in our Class A common stock involves substantial risks. You should carefully consider the following factors, together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K before investing in our Class A common stock. Any of the risk factors we describe below could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. The market price of our Class A common stock could decline if one or more of these risks or uncertainties develop into actual events, causing you to lose all or part of your investment. We cannot assure you that any of the events discussed below will not occur. Please also see “Forward-Looking Statements” for more information.

Risks Related to Our Business

Our ability to generate revenue from discretionary and corporate spending on events, such as corporate sponsorships and advertising, is subject to many factors, including many that are beyond our control, such as general macroeconomic conditions.

Our business depends on discretionary consumer and corporate spending. Many factors related to corporate spending and discretionary consumer spending, including economic conditions affecting disposable consumer income such as unemployment levels, fuel prices, interest rates, changes in tax rates, tax laws that impact companies or individuals, and inflation, can significantly impact our operating results. While consumer and corporate spending may decline at any time for reasons beyond our control, the risks associated with our businesses become more acute in periods of a slowing economy or recession, which may be accompanied by reductions in corporate sponsorship and advertising, decreases in attendance at live events, and purchases of pay-per-view (“PPV”), among other things. There can be no assurance that consumer and corporate spending will not be adversely impacted by current economic and geopolitical conditions, or by any future deterioration in economic conditions, thereby possibly impacting our operating results and growth. A prolonged period of reduced consumer or corporate spending, such as those that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We depend on key relationships with television and cable networks, satellite providers, digital streaming partners and other distribution partners. Our failure to maintain, renew or replace key agreements could adversely affect our ability to distribute our media content, WWE Network and/or other of our goods and services, which could adversely affect our operating results.

A key component of our success is our relationships with television and cable networks, satellite providers, digital streaming and other distribution partners, as well as corporate sponsors. We are dependent on maintaining these existing relationships and expanding upon them so that we have a robust network with which we can work to arrange multimedia rights sales and sponsorship engagements, including distribution of our events and media content. Our television programming for our events is distributed by television and cable networks, satellite providers, PPV, digital streaming, and other media. We have depended on, and will continue to depend on, third parties for many aspects of the operations and distribution of WWE Network. We have an important relationship with ESPN as they are the exclusive domestic distributor of all UFC events. Because a large portion of our revenues are generated, directly and indirectly, from the distribution of our events, any failure to maintain or renew arrangements with distributors and platforms, the failure of distributors or platforms to continue to provide services to us, or the failure to enter into new distribution opportunities on terms favorable to us could adversely affect our business. We regularly engage in negotiations relating to substantial agreements covering the distribution of our television programming by carriers located in the United States and abroad. We have agreements with multiple PPV providers globally and distribute a portion of our events through PPV, including certain events that are sold exclusively through PPV. We have substantial relationships with NBCU, which carries Raw and NXT through its cable networks. WWE Network is distributed exclusively via Peacock in the domestic market. Fox Network currently carries SmackDown, which will move to NBCU’s USA Network beginning October 2024. NBCU currently carries Raw, however, our agreement with NBCU to carry Raw in the U.S. expires at the end of September 2024. These relationships are expected to continue to constitute a significant percentage of our revenues. We anticipate that we will be involved in negotiations to renew or replace our domestic television distribution rights agreements for UFC content and WWE Network with our current licensee or others before their expiration in December 2025 and March 2026, respectively. We also intend to renew our license or find an alternate provider to carry Raw in the U.S. for the 90-day period from October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 before it moves to Netflix as described below. These domestic licenses together account for a very significant portion of our media segment revenues and profitability. No assurances can be provided as to the outcome of these negotiations and, if we are unable to renew existing agreements or find alternative streaming or distribution partners, our results of operations could be adversely impacted. As announced in January 2024, beginning January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive global home to Raw. Additionally, beginning in January 2025 and as rights become available globally, distribution for all WWE content outside the U.S., including premium live events, will be on Netflix. Our agreement has an initial 10-year term, with an option for Netflix to extend for an additional 10 years and to opt out after the initial five years. Our failure to maintain the Netflix agreement, including through Netflix exercising its opt-out rights, could adversely affect our ability to distribute WWE content, which could adversely affect our operating results.

There is also no guarantee that the growth in value of sports media licensing rights in the recent years will continue or can be maintained or that the current value of our sports media licensing rights will not diminish over time. Any adverse change in these relationships or agreements, including as a result of U.S., European Union and United Kingdom trade and economic sanctions and any

counter-sanctions enacted by such sanctioned countries (e.g., Russia), or a deterioration in the perceived value of our sponsorships or these distribution channels, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to adapt to or manage new content distribution platforms or changes in consumer behavior resulting from new technologies.

The manner in which audio/media content is distributed and viewed is constantly changing, and consumers have increasing options to access entertainment video. Changes in technology require resources including personnel, capital and operating expenses. Conversely, technology changes have also decreased the cost of video production and distribution for certain programmers (such as through social media), which lowers the barriers to entry and increases the competition for viewership and revenues. We must successfully adapt to and manage technological advances in our industry, including the emergence of alternative distribution platforms. If we are unable to adopt or are late in adopting technological changes and innova

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy

We have developed and implemented a cybersecurity risk management program intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems and information. Our security approach is aligned with applicable security and/or technical requirements and best practices established by National Institute of Standards and Cybersecurity Framework (“NIST CSF”). This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, only that our information security team uses the NIST CSF as the framework for helping us to identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.

Our cybersecurity risk management program is integrated into our overall enterprise risk management program and is designed to share common methodologies, reporting channels and governance processes that apply across the enterprise risk management program to other legal, compliance, strategic, operational, and financial risk areas. We have a cross-functional team composed of senior IT, cybersecurity and compliance leadership from both TKO and Endeavor that typically meets on a monthly basis to discuss efforts to identify new or prospective risks, mitigate previously identified risks, and discuss recent cybersecurity events. This cross-functional team reports into an executive steering committee comprised of senior enterprise leadership which meets, at a minimum, quarterly.

We use a defense-in-depth strategy across our business applications and systems, including database encryption, encryption for laptops/desktops, endpoint-security solutions including network filtering, anti-virus, endpoint firewalls, endpoint detection/response, patch and security configuration management and monitoring through our use of a Security Information and Event Management (“SIEM”) system. The SIEM is monitored by our Security Operations Center (“SOC”). Our network and applications require multi-factor authentication, and logins are monitored for unusual activity by our SOC function. The enterprise network is protected by stateful firewalls, which are also monitored via our SOC. Our dedicated cybersecurity team engages third parties to conduct periodic infrastructure, application, compliance, and security operations testing, and threats/findings are managed through our risk-register and governance processes.

Separately, employees are trained to promptly report any suspicious behavior or events to the Company’s Core Security Incident Response team. This team includes IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and risk management team members from both TKO and Endeavor. The core team oversees the investigation and handling of all reported incidents (which incidents are tracked in real time). If the core team determines that the reported event could potentially impact personally identifiable information processed by the Company, confidential/proprietary information or cause a financial loss, the core team reports the matter to TKO’s Cybersecurity Executive Steering Committee, which includes TKO’s Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsels, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Corporate Secretary and Head of Investor Relations, as well as Endeavor’s Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Information Officer, SVP, Internal Audit, SVP, Privacy & Cybersecurity, SVP, Cybersecurity, SVP, Head of Corporate Security and Chief Communications Officer. Reported events that may cause a financial loss are also reported to the legal department’s fraud investigation team. The Cybersecurity Executive Steering Committee is charged with managing the Core Security Incident Response Team and determining whether any disclosures may be required as a result of the reported event.

Our cybersecurity risk management program, thus, includes:

risk assessments designed to help identify material cybersecurity risks to our critical systems, information, products, services, and our broader enterprise IT environment;

a written cybersecurity incident response plan;

the use of external service providers, where appropriate, to assess, test or otherwise assist with aspects of our security controls;

cybersecurity awareness training of our employees, incident response personnel, and senior management not less often than once per calendar year;

phishing simulations at regular intervals (not less than quarterly) to all users of the Company’s email system; and

a third-party risk management process for service providers, suppliers, and vendors which connect to our IT systems or process data on our behalf. This risk management process is designed to review the cybersecurity protocols, policies and preparedness of any vendor that processes personally identifiable information for the Company or the Company’s confidential or proprietary information or otherwise is connected to any Company IT infrastructure before entering an agreement with such vendor and/or at least every 18 months thereafter. Such reviews consist of reviewing SOC2 Type II reports for vendors which maintain them or, for those that don’t, a review of the vendor’s responses to a detailed questionnaire. Upon a review of such responses, the Company’s cybersecurity team may propose contractual remediation obligations to be agreed upon by the vendor.

Our continually evolving cybersecurity strategies are informed by multiple threat intelligence resources, the status of ongoing remediation plans, and technical developments. We have not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. See Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business — Failure to protect our IT Systems and Confidential Information against breakdowns, security breaches, and other cybersecurity risks could result in financial penalties, legal liability, and/or reputational harm, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.”

Cybersecurity Governance

Our Board considers cybersecurity risk as part of its risk oversight function and has delegated to the Audit Committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee”) oversight of cybersecurity and other information technology risks. The Audit Committee oversees management’s implementation of our cybersecurity risk management program.

The Audit Committee receives quarterly reports from management on our cybersecurity risks, and also receives, at least annually, a detailed briefing from management on our cyber risk management program’s status including all strategic initiatives. In addition, management updates the Audit Committee, as necessary, regarding potentially significant cybersecurity incidents consistent with written escalation protocols, as well as incidents with lesser impact potential. The Audit Committee members also receive presentations on cybersecurity topics from Endeavor’s Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Information Officer, internal security staff or external experts as

part of the Board’s continuing education on topics that impact public companies. The full Board receives regular updates regarding the Audit Committee’s activities.

Our management team, including Endeavor’s Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Information Officer, SVP, Privacy & Cybersecurity, and SVP, Cybersecurity, is responsible for assessing and managing our material risks from cybersecurity threats. The Chief Information Officer is responsible for implementation and enforcement of written information security policies. The Chief Information Officer has designated leaders, including the SVP, Cybersecurity, to be responsible for overall management of the information security management program, including developing and operating within the defined global information security controls to protect our IT systems, selecting and supervising retained cybersecurity consultants, and working with Legal, Compliance, and Human Resources personnel to develop and launch appropriate information security training of our workforce. Our management team has decades of experience leading and managing cybersecurity teams as well as professional credentials in cybersecurity and data privacy. Our SVP, Privacy & Cybersecurity, leads a team of five dedicated privacy professionals in the Legal department.

Our management team supervises efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which may include briefings from internal security personnel; threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, including external consultants engaged by us; and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in our IT environment.

Item 2. Properties

The following table sets forth the location, use and ownership or leasehold interest in various significant facilities as of December 31, 2023. The leases referenced below expire at various times through 2035, subject to renewal and early termination options. We consider each of these properties to be in good condition, adequate for its purpose and our current needs, and suitably utilized according to the individual nature and requirements of the relevant operations.

LocationUseSegmentsOwned/‎Leased
200 Fifth Avenue, New York, New YorkCorporate officesCorporateLeased
10250 Constellation Boulevard, Suite 1640, Los Angeles, CaliforniaCorporate officesWWE; CorporateLeased
345 Ely Avenue, Norwalk, ConnecticutWarehouseWWELeased
677 and 707 Washington Boulevard, Stamford, ConnecticutCorporate offices and ‎new WWE headquartersWWE; CorporateLeased
1241 East Main Street, Stamford, ConnecticutCorporate offices and former WWE headquartersWWE; CorporateOwned
88 Hamilton Avenue, Stamford, ConnecticutMedia production centerWWEOwned
120 Hamilton Avenue, Stamford, ConnecticutTV production studioWWEOwned
6650 S. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NevadaUFC headquarters and Performance InstituteUFC; ‎CorporateOwned
6650 El Camino Road, Las Vegas, NevadaMedia production center and studioUFCOwned
1376 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai Centre, Level 7, Suite #732, Shanghai, ChinaUFC Performance InstituteUFCLeased
Bahía de Todos Los Santos 157, Col. Verónica Anzures, Alc. Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11300, Mexico City, MexicoUFC Performance InstituteUFCLeased

In addition, we own and lease several other offices that are not material to our operations. See Note 20, Leases, to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for further detail on our lease commitments.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may be involved in claims and proceedings arising in the course of our business. The outcome of any such claims or proceedings, regardless of the merits, is inherently uncertain. For a description of our legal proceedings, see Note 21, Commitments and Contingencies, to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not Applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

Our Class A common stock is listed and traded on the NYSE under the symbol “TKO.” Our Class B common stock is not listed nor traded on any stock exchange.

Holders

As of January 31, 2024, there were 6,093 holders of record of our outstanding Class A common stock and three holders of our outstanding Class B common stock. These numbers do not include those who hold in “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers, financial institutions and other nominees.

Dividend Policy

We do not currently anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends to holders of our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance the growth of our business. If we decide to pay cash dividends in the future, the declaration and payment of such dividends will be at the sole discretion of our Board and may be discontinued at any time. In determining the amount of any future dividends, our Board will take into account any legal or contractual limitations, restrictions in our debt agreements, including the Credit Facilities, our actual and anticipated future earnings, cash flow, debt service and capital requirements, the amount of distributions to us from TKO OpCo and other factors that our Board may deem relevant. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Debt Facilities” for more information on the restrictions the Credit Facilities impose on our ability to declare and pay cash dividends. Because we are a holding company, our cash flow and ability to pay dividends depends upon the financial results and cash flows of our operating subsidiaries and the distribution or other payment of cash to us in the form of dividends or otherwise from TKO OpCo. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related Our Class A Common Stock – Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future (except as otherwise noted under “Dividend Policy”), capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gains and you may never receive a return on your investment.”

However, to the maximum extent permitted by law, we expect to make quarterly distributions of cash received from TKO OpCo in excess of cash required for our taxes or other costs or expenses, unless a majority of the Board determines that TKO OpCo has a bona fide need for such cash (e.g., potential acquisitions) and determines to loan such excess cash to TKO OpCo at market rates.

Such determination is based on a number of considerations, including, but not limited to, our results of operations and capital management plans, the market price of our Class A common stock, the availability of funds to TKO Group Holdings, industry practice and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. In addition, our ability to pay distributions and the amount of any distributions ultimately paid in respect of our common stock is, in each case, subject to us receiving funds, directly or indirectly, from our operating subsidiaries, including the operating subsidiaries of TKO OpCo.

Furthermore, the ability of the operating subsidiaries of TKO OpCo to make distributions to us depends on the satisfaction of applicable state law and is subject to any covenants and restrictions in existing agreements with respect to such distributions, and the ability of TKO OpCo to receive distributions from its own subsidiaries will continue to depend on applicable state law with respect to such distributions. There can be no guarantee that our stockholders will receive or be entitled to dividends.

Sales of Unregistered Equity Securities

None.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

The following table presents information with respect to purchases of Class A common stock of the Company made during the three months ended December 31, 2023:

PeriodTotal Number of Shares Purchased (1)Average Price Paid Per ShareTotal Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or ProgramsApproximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in Thousands)
October 1, 2023 to October 31, 2023———$—
November 1, 2023 to November 30, 20231,308,729$76.411,308,729$—
December 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023———$—
Total1,308,7291,308,729

(1)On November 9, 2023, we entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with TKO OpCo, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as representative of the various underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriters”), and Mr. McMahon, in connection with the underwritten secondary offering by Mr. McMahon of 8.4 million shares of our Class A common stock at an offering price of $79.80 per share (the “Secondary Offering”). Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, we agreed to purchase 1,308,729 shares of Class A common stock from the Underwriters, at a price per share equal to the price being paid by the Underwriters to Mr. McMahon, resulting in an aggregate purchase price of approximately $100.0 million. See Note 10, Stockholders’/Members’ Equity, to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for additional information regarding the Secondary Offering and our share repurchase.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph illustrates the total return from September 12, 2023 (the date our Class A common stock began trading on NYSE) through December 31, 2023, for (i) our Class A common stock, (ii) the S&P MidCap 400 Index, and (iii) the S&P 1500 Media and Entertainment Industry Group Index. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on September 12, 2023 in each of our Class A common stock, the S&P MidCap 400 Index, and the S&P 1500 Media and Entertainment Industry Group Index, and that any dividends were reinvested. The comparisons reflected in the graph are not intended to forecast the future performance of our stock and may not be indicative of our future performance.

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Item 6. [Reserved]

It****em 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the information set forth in our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. The historical financial data discussed below reflects our historical results of operations and financial position and relates to periods prior to the Transactions (as defined below). As a result, the following discussion does not reflect the significant impact that such events will have on us. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon management’s current plans, expectations and beliefs that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various known and unknown factors, including those set forth under Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and in other sections of this Annual Report.

The following is a discussion and analysis of, and a comparison between, our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. A discussion and analysis of, and a comparison between, our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 can be found in the section entitled, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our final prospectus on Form 424(b)(3) filed with the SEC on May 14, 2023.

Overview

TKO is a premium sports and entertainment company which operates leading combat sports and sports entertainment brands. The Company monetizes its media and content properties through four principal activities: Media rights and content, Live events, Sponsorship and Consumer products licensing.

TKO was formed through the combination of Zuffa Parent, LLC (n/k/a TKO Operating Company, LLC) which owns and operates the Ultimate Fighting Championship (“UFC”), a preeminent combat sports brand and a subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (“Endeavor”), a global sports and entertainment company, and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (n/k/a/ World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC) (“WWE”), a renowned sports entertainment business. The Transactions unite two complementary sports and sports entertainment brands in a single company supported by Endeavor’s capabilities in premium IP ownership, talent representation, live events and experiences. For additional information regarding the terms of the Transactions, see Note 4, Acquisition of WWE, to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report.

Segments

As of December 31, 2023, we operated our business under two reportable segments, UFC and WWE. In addition, we also report results for the “Corporate” group, which incurs expenses that are not allocated to the business segments.

UFC

The UFC segment reflects the business operations of UFC. Revenue from our UFC segment principally consists of media rights fees associated with the distribution of its programming content; ticket sales and site fees associated with the business’s global live events; sponsorships; and consumer product licensing agreements of UFC-branded products.

WWE

The WWE segment reflects the business operations of WWE. Revenue from our WWE segment principally consists of media rights fees associated with the distribution of its programming content; ticket sales and site fees associated with the business’s global live events; sponsorships; and consumer product licensing agreements of WWE-branded products.

Corporate

Corporate reflects operations not allocated to the UFC or WWE segments and primarily consists of general and administrative expenses. These expenses relate largely to corporate activities, including information technology, facilities, legal, human resources, finance, accounting, treasury, investor relations, corporate communications, community relations and compensation to TKO’s management and board of directors, which support both reportable segments. Corporate expenses also include service fees paid by the Company to Endeavor under the Services Agreement, inclusive of fees paid for revenue producing services related to the segments.

Components of Our Operating Results

Revenue

TKO primarily generates revenue via domestic and international media rights fees, ticket sales and site fees at our live events, sponsorships, and consumer products licensing.

Direct Operating Costs

TKO’s direct operating costs primarily include costs associated with our athletes and talent, production, marketing, venue costs related to live events, and commissions and direct costs with distributors, as well as certain service fees paid to Endeavor.

Selling, General and Administrative

TKO’s selling, general and administrative expenses primarily include personnel costs as well as rent, travel, professional service costs and certain service fees paid to Endeavor.

Provision for Income Taxes

TKO Group Holdings, Inc. was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in March 2023. As the sole managing member of TKO OpCo, TKO Group Holdings, Inc. operates and controls all the business and affairs of UFC and WWE. TKO Group Holdings, Inc. is subject to corporate income taxes on its share of taxable income of TKO OpCo. TKO OpCo is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is therefore generally not subject to U.S. corporate income tax. TKO OpCo’s foreign subsidiaries are subject to entity-level taxes. TKO OpCo’s U.S. subsidiaries are subject to withholding taxes on sales in certain foreign jurisdictions which are included as a component of foreign current taxes. TKO OpCo is subject to entity-level income taxes in certain U.S. state and local jurisdictions.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

(dollars in millions, except where noted)

The following is a discussion of our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. This information is derived from our accompanying consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Year Ended December 31,
20232022
Revenue$1,675.0$1,140.1
Operating expenses:
Direct operating costs514.6325.6
Selling, general and administrative expenses549.1210.1
Depreciation and amortization164.660.0
Total operating expenses1,228.3595.7
Operating income446.7544.4
Other expenses:
Interest expense, net(239.0)(139.6)
Other expense, net(0.2)(1.3)
Income before income taxes and equity losses of affiliates207.5403.5
Provision for income taxes31.514.3
Income before equity losses of affiliates176.0389.2
Equity losses of affiliates, net of tax0.30.2
Net income175.7389.0
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to non-controlling interests(32.5)1.7
Less: Net income attributable to TKO Operating Company, LLC prior to the Transactions243.4387.3
Net loss attributable to TKO Group Holdings, Inc.$(35.2)$—

Revenue

Revenue increased by $534.9 million, or 47%, to $1,675.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

UFC revenue increased by $152.1 million, or 13%. This increase was primarily driven by $76.2 million of increased media rights and content from higher domestic and international rights fees resulting from increases in contractual revenues, higher fees associated with international renewals and one additional PPV

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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

The Financial Statements required by this Item 8 appear beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report and are incorporated by reference herein.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

Ite****m 9A. Controls and Procedures

Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures

In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company’s management has evaluated, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of December 31, 2023.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financing Reporting

This Annual Report does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of the company's registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission for newly public companies.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

The Transactions resulted in changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting. The Company is continuing in its design and integration of policies, processes, technology, and other components of internal controls over financial reporting. Management will monitor the implementation of new controls and test the operating effectiveness when instances are available in future periods.

Item 9B. Other Information

(a)

We are reporting the following information in lieu of reporting on a Current Report on Form 8-K under Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure or Item 8.01 Other Events.

On February 22, 2024, following Vincent McMahon’s resignation from the position of Executive Chair of the Board in January 2024, the Board appointed Ariel Emanuel, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, as Executive Chair of the Board. In addition, the independent directors of the Board established the position of Lead Independent Director and appointed Steven R. Koonin to serve in such role. Both appointments became effective as of February 22, 2024.

(b) During the three months ended December 31, 2023, the following directors and “officers” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company adopted, modified or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” and/or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.

On November 14, 2023, each of: Mark Shapiro, President, Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board; Nick Khan, member of the Board; Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer; Seth Krauss, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer; and Shane Kapral,

Chief Accounting Officer, entered into a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement, which is a sell-to-cover instruction letter that provides for sales of a number of shares of Class A common stock as is necessary to cover tax withholding obligations incurred in connection with the vesting or settlement of restricted stock units, performance stock units or restricted stock previously granted or that could in the future be granted under the Company’s 2023 Incentive Award Plan and, if applicable, the WWE 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan, including under any successor plan (collectively, the “Sell-to-Cover 10b5-1 Instructions”). Each person’s Sell-to-Cover 10b5-1 Instruction will remain in effect so long as taxes are required to be paid upon the vesting or settlement of restricted stock units, performance stock units or restricted stock awarded or to be awarded to such person, unless such person’s instruction letter is earlier terminated. The total number of Class A shares that may be sold pursuant to each person’s Sell-to-Cover 10b5-1 Instruction is not determinable. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, no shares of Class A common stock were sold pursuant to any person’s Sell-to-Cover 10b5-1 Instruction.

Item 9****C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

Not applicable.

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Executive Officers and Directors

Set forth below are the names, ages and positions of each of the individuals who serve as our directors and executive officers as of February 27, 2024.

NameAgeTitle
Ariel Emanuel62Director, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Mark Shapiro54Director, President and Chief Operating Officer
Peter C.B. Bynoe72Director
Egon P. Durban50Director
Dwayne Johnson51Director
Bradley A. Keywell54Director
Nick Khan49Director
Steven R. Koonin66Director
Jonathan A. Kraft59Director
Sonya E. Medina48Director
Nancy R. Tellem71Director
Carrie Wheeler52Director
Andrew Schleimer46Chief Financial Officer
Seth Krauss53Chief Legal and Administrative Officer

Ariel Emanuel became the Chief Executive Officer and a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023 and was appointed Executive Chair in February 2024. Mr. Emanuel has served as Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor since October 2017. He has also served as a director of Endeavor since June 2009. He previously served as the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor since July 2014, and as Co-Chief Executive Officer of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC since 2009. Mr. Emanuel previously served on the board of directors of ContextLogic Inc. (d/b/a Wish) (Nasdaq) and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE). Mr. Emanuel is a graduate of Macalester College. We believe that Mr. Emanuel is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive experience in the sports, media and live entertainment industries as well as his previous experience with the Endeavor and UFC businesses.

Mark Shapiro is the President and Chief Operating Officer of TKO Group Holdings and became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023. He has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Endeavor since April 2023 and as President of Endeavor since December 2018. He previously served as the Co-President of Endeavor from November 2016 to December 2018 and as Chief Content Officer of Endeavor from September 2014 to November 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Shapiro served in various executive positions at Dick Clark Productions from May 2010 to September 2014, including as Chief Executive Officer and as Executive Producer. From February 2006 through May 2010, he served as a Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE) and worked for ESPN as Senior Vice President, and later Executive Vice President of Programming and Production from 2002 to May 2005. Mr. Shapiro currently serves as a member of the board of trustees of Equity Residential (NYSE) and as the Chairman of Captivate Network. Mr. Shapiro previously served as a member of the board of directors of Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE), Frontier Communications Corporation (Nasdaq), Papa Johns International, Inc. (Nasdaq) and Bright Lights Acquisition Corp., formerly a public special purpose acquisition company. Mr. Shapiro is a graduate of University of Iowa. We believe that Mr. Shapiro is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive experience in the sports, media and entertainment industries and his prior service on public company boards.

Peter C.B. Bynoe became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023. Mr. Bynoe has served in multiple roles, including as Senior Advisor and Equity Partner, at DLA Piper LLP (US), a global law firm, since March 1995. He previously served as Managing Director of Equity Group Investments, L.L.C. from September 2013 to December 2019 and as Managing Partner of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets from November 1989 to September 1992. Mr. Bynoe was a Partner and COO of Loop Capital Markets, an international investment banking firm, from January 2009 through August 2013. Mr. Bynoe has served on the board of directors of Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust since October 2020, Ardent Health Services, LLC since November 2015, Rush University Medical Center since November 1993, and the Goodman Theatre since March 1984. He previously served on the board of directors of Frontier Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq) from August 2007 to April 2021, Covanta Holding Corp. (NYSE) from June 2004 to January 2021, and Real Industry, Inc. (Nasdaq) from July 2013 to May 2018. Mr. Bynoe currently serves as the Chairman and a member of the Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee of Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust since October 2020. Mr. Bynoe graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College, a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. We believe that Mr. Bynoe is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive business, legal and public policy expertise.

Egon P. Durban became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023. Mr. Durban has served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of Silver Lake, a global technology investment firm, since December 2019. Mr. Durban joined Silver Lake in 1999 as a founding principal and is based in the firm’s Menlo Park office. He serves on the boards of directors of Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE), City Football Group, Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE), Group 42, Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE), Qualtrics, Unity Software Inc. (NYSE), Verily, and Waymo. Previously, he served on the board of VMware, Inc. (NYSE), served on the board of Skype, and was Chairman of its operating committee, served on the supervisory board and operating committee of NXP, and served on the boards of MultiPlan, Pivotal Software, Inc. (NYSE), SecureWorks Corp. (Nasdaq) and Twitter Inc. (NYSE). Prior to Silver Lake, Mr. Durban worked in Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division. Mr. Durban graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S.B.A. in Finance. We believe that Mr. Durban is qualified to serve on our Board because of his strong experience in technology and finance, and his extensive knowledge of and years of experience in global strategic leadership and management of multiple companies.

Dwayne Johnson (also known by his stage name “The Rock”) became a director of TKO Group Holdings on January 23, 2024. Mr. Johnson is an actor, film producer, entrepreneur and retired professional wrestler. Mr. Johnson started his career as a third-generation professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment (f/k/a World Wrestling Federation) from 1996 until 2004. During that period, Mr. Johnson won multiple WWE titles and was instrumental to the success of the sport. Mr. Johnson’s success as a professional wrestler led to a career as an actor, producer and entrepreneur. Mr. Johnson develops, produces and stars in all forms of entertainment content via his production company, Seven Bucks Productions, LLC, which he co-founded in 2012. In addition to Seven Bucks Productions, LLC, Mr. Johnson has co-founded multiple business ventures, including ZOA Energy, LLC, an energy drink company, in partnership with Molson Coors, and Siete Bucks Spirits LLC, the liquor company that produces the premium tequila brand Teremana, in partnership with Mast-Jägermeister. In 2020, Mr. Johnson co-led a consortium to acquire the XFL, a professional American football league, which re-launched in 2023 and recently combined with the USFL to become the United Football League. Mr. Johnson also maintains several brand partnerships, including a partnership with Under Armour, Inc. pursuant to which Mr. Johnson has developed a line of fitness apparel under the “Project Rock” brand. In 2016 and 2019, Mr. Johnson was named by Time Magazine as one of the world’s most influential people. Mr. Johnson graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of General Studies. Mr. Johnson is represented by talent agency William Morris Endeavor, an affiliate of TKO. We believe that Mr. Johnson is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive sports, media and entertainment experience, his background as an entrepreneur, and his deep familiarity with the WWE business.

Bradley A. Keywell became a director of TKO Group Holdings on January 23, 2024. Mr. Keywell is the founder of Uptake Technologies, Inc., an artificial intelligence software company that provides actionable insight to industrial operators, where he has served as Executive Chairman since 2015 and, from 2015 through 2019, was its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Keywell is also the founder of SkillHero Corp., a workforce technology company focused on skilled trades and vocational training, where he has served as Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since its inception in 2023. He is the founder of 1+1 Ventures, the business incubation, growth capital investment, and acquisition entity born out of Mr. Keywell’s family office. Mr. Keywell is a co-founder of Lightbank, an umbrella company for several venture capital and growth capital investing entities and, from 2012 through 2020, was a co-Managing Director. Mr. Keywell has founded or co-founded several other companies, including MediaOcean LLC (f/k/a MediaBank), a provider of integrated media procurement technology, where he served as the founding Chief Executive Officer, Echo Global Logistics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ECHO), where he served as founding Chief Executive Officer and was Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Groupon, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRPN), where he also served on its board of directors. In 2019, he was globally honored as the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year and was previously awarded the overall EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the United States. He was also named to the Technology Pioneer council by the World Economic Forum and was inducted into the Chicago Innovation Hall of Fame. Mr. Keywell is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Mr. Keywell graduated from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business with a B.B.A. degree, and received a J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School. We believe that Mr. Keywell is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive executive leadership experience and his background in technology innovation.

Nick Khan became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023. Mr. Khan served as Chief Executive Officer of WWE from January 2023 to September 2023. He previously served as one of WWE’s Co-CEOs from July 2022 to January 2023 and President & Chief Revenue Officer from August 2020 to July 2022. Mr. Khan also previously served as the Co-Head of the Television

Department for Creative Artists Agency LLC (CAA) from 2012 until 2020. Prior to that, Mr. Khan, a former practicing attorney, transitioned to International Creative Management (ICM) in 2006 where he launched their Sports Media department. Mr. Khan is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. We believe that Mr. Khan is qualified to serve on our Board because of his previous experience with the WWE business and his extensive experience in sports broadcasting, media and entertainment.

Steven R. Koonin became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023 and was appointed Lead Independent Director in February 2024. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Hawks, LLC since April 2014. He has served on the board of directors of the Atlanta Police Foundation Inc since June 2021, the Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Inc since June 2014 and the Georgia Aquarium Inc (currently serving as Chairman) since June 2004. He also served on the board of directors of Rubicon Technologies, Inc. (NYSE) from December 2012 to June 2022 and GameStop Corp. (NYSE) from May 2007 to May 2020. Mr. Koonin previously served as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of WWE from July 2022 to September 2023 and the Compensation Committee of WWE (currently serving as Chairman) from June 2021 to September 2023. Mr. Koonin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Georgia. We believe that Mr. Koonin is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive executive leadership experience with media entertainment and consumer brands.

Jonathan A. Kraft became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023. He has served as President of the Kraft Group LLC since July 1995. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Kraft Group and various of its affiliated companies since July 1990. Mr. Kraft also serves on the board of directors for the Paper & Packaging Board since January 2019, Mass General Brigham Incorporated since January 2017, Dexter Southfield Board of Trustees since June 2016, Harvard Business School’s Board of Advisors since June 2013, Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) since 2010 (currently serving as Chair), Williams College Investment Committee since October 2006 and Belmont Hill School Board of Trustees since June 2003. Mr. Kraft graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Williams College and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. We believe that Mr. Kraft is qualified to serve on our Board because of his experience as a director on the boards of a vast array of companies.

Sonya E. Medina became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023. Ms. Medina serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Reach Resilience, a position held since May 2022. In addition, Ms. Medina has served as a co-founder of Greenlight Growth Capital, LLC since January 2022, and as an independent consultant since July 2013. Previously, Ms. Medina served as the Vice President of Community & External Affairs at Silver Eagle Distributors (distributor of Anheuser Busch & Grupo Modelo products) from January 2009 to June 2013, Director of the AT&T Global Foundation from September 2006 to February 2008 and a White House commissioned officer in the capacity of Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Director of Projects to the First Lady from January 2001 to August 2006 and from February 2008 to November 2008. She has also served on the board of directors for Delta Apparel, Inc (NYSE) since April 2022, the Texas Tribune since April 2022, Texas 2036 since April 2022, Spurs Give since April 2021, Teach for Uganda since May 2018 and Papa Johns International, Inc. (Nasdaq) since October 2015. Ms. Medina also currently serves as a member of the Compensation and Nominating and Governance committees of Papa Johns International, Inc. (Nasdaq) since May 2018 and September 2015, respectively, as well as the Audit and Governance committees of Delta Apparel, Inc (NYSE) since April 2022. Ms. Medina earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Public Health degree from Columbia University. We believe that Ms. Medina is qualified to serve on our Board because of her extensive experience as a director of public companies and corporate social responsibility, social impact, and brand management acumen.

Nancy R. Tellem became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023. She has served as the Executive Chairperson and Chief Media Officer of Eko (f/k/a Interlude US, Inc.), a media network company since 2015. She previously served as President of Xbox Entertainment Studios from September 2012 through October 2014. Prior to that, she served as President of CBS Television Entertainment Group from May 1998 through June 2010. Ms. Tellem holds board and advisory positions including Eko, LeagueApps, ALLCITY Network since January 2022, BasBlue, Inc. since October 2021, Rocket Companies, Inc. since July 2020 and Sipur Studios, and is a board member of Cranbrook Art Academy and Museum, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. She also is a director of Gores Guggenheim, Inc. and UTA Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq). Ms. Tellem earned a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. degree from UC Hastings College of the Law. We believe that Ms. Tellem is qualified to serve on our Board because of her significant business and management expertise in the entertainment industry.

Carrie Wheeler became a director of TKO Group Holdings on September 12, 2023. She has served as Chief Executive Officer and a board member of Opendoor Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq) since December 2022, where she also served as Chief Financial Officer from September 2020 to December 2022. Ms. Wheeler also previously served as a member of Opendoor’s board of directors from October 2019 to September 2020. From 1996 to 2017, Ms. Wheeler was with TPG Global, a global private equity firm, including as a Partner and Head of Consumer / Retail Investing. Ms. Wheeler currently serves on the board of directors and on the audit committee of APi Group Corporation (NYSE), a global provider of safety and specialty services, since October 2019. She previously served on the board and audit committee of Dollar Tree, Inc. (Nasdaq) from March 2019 to March 2022. Ms. Wheeler has also served on a number of other corporate boards, including J. Crew Group, Inc. from 2010 to 2018, Neiman Marcus Group from 2005 to 2013 and Petco Animal Supplies from 2006 to 2015. Ms. Wheeler received her Bachelor of Commerce with Honors degree from Queen’s University in Canada. We believe that Ms. Wheeler is qualified to serve on our Board because of her extensive executive and board experience.

Andrew Schleimer is the Chief Financial Officer of TKO Group Holdings. He is also the Chief Financial Officer of UFC, a position in which he has served since September 2016. He also served as Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Endeavor from February 2021 to September 2023. From July 2014 to September 2016, Mr. Schleimer served as the Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Digital Turbine, Inc. (Nasdaq), a provider of end-to-end solutions for mobile technology companies to enable advertising and monetization functions. From October 2012 to July 2014, Mr. Schleimer served as an advisor and advisory board member of Digital Turbine, Inc. (formerly known as Mandalay Digital Group). From September 2010 to October 2012, Mr. Schleimer served as the Executive Vice President of Strategic Development of Dick Clark Productions. From January 2006 to July 2010, Mr. Schleimer served as the Executive Vice President of Strategy Development & In-Park Services for Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE). Mr. Schleimer began his career in investment banking at UBS Financial Services as part of the M&A group, with a particular focus on media and entertainment. Mr. Schleimer graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management, with a focus on real estate finance.

Seth Krauss is the Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of TKO Group Holdings. He has also served as Chief Administrative & Senior Counsel to the Board of Directors and Senior Management of Endeavor, a position he has held since January 2024, after serving as Endeavor’s Chief Legal Officer from June 2014 until October 2023 and as Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of Endeavor from October 2023 to December 2023. From March 2007 to June 2014, he served as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Take Two Interactive Software Inc. (Nasdaq). From March 2004 through March 2007 he served in the Legal and Compliance Division of Morgan Stanley, first as Vice President and Counsel and then as Executive Director and Counsel. From 1995 until joining Morgan Stanley in March 2004, Mr. Krauss served as an Assistant District Attorney and Senior Investigative Counsel in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Krauss currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. He previously served as a member of the board of directors of the Center for Family Representation and as a member of the board of trustees of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Mr. Krauss graduated with a Bachelor of Arts both in History and in Political Science from Duke University and a Juris Doctor from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships between any members or nominees of the Company’s Board and any of the Company’s executive officers.

Audit Committee and Audit Committee Financial Expert

We have a separately-designated standing audit committee (“Audit Committee”). The members of the Audit Committee are Nancy R. Tellem, Carrie Wheeler and Sonya E. Medina, with Carrie Wheeler serving as Chair of the Audit Committee, each of whom satisfies the applicable independence requirements under the NYSE rules, under our bylaws and under Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act. In addition, the Board has determined that Ms. Wheeler qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “TKO Code”) applicable to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller and persons performing similar functions (“Covered Persons”). In addition to the TKO Code, Covered Persons employed by Zuffa, LLC and its subsidiaries are also subject to the Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. Code of Conduct, and Covered Persons employed by WWE and its subsidiaries are also subject to WWE’s Code of Business Conduct. A copy of the TKO Code is available under the Investor page of our website, TKOgrp.com, and the Company intends to disclose any legally required amendments to or waivers of the applicable code in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of the Company’s executive officers serve as members of the Company’s Compensation Committee. Prior to the consummation of the Transactions, compensation decisions for those who serve as executive officers of the Company were made, as to Messrs. Emanuel and Shapiro, by the Board. Following the consummation of the Transactions, compensation is approved as described under Part III, Item 11, “Executive Compensation – Setting Executive Compensation,” which information is incorporated by reference herein. Mr. Emanuel also serves on the Board and the Executive Committee of Endeavor.

Related person transactions pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K involving those who made compensation decisions for those who are to serve as the Company’s executive officers are set forth under Item 13. “Certain Relationships, and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.”

Before the consummation of the Transactions, the members of our Board received no compensation for their services as directors of TKO Group Holdings. In connection with the consummation of the Transactions, we adopted a non-employee director compensation

program pursuant to which our non-employee directors who qualify as “independent” are eligible to receive compensation for their service on our board and the committees thereof.

Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the following Compensation Discussion and Analysis and, based on such review and discussion, have determined that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis should be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Peter C.B. Bynoe

Steven R. Koonin

Sonya E. Medina

Item 11. Executive Compensation

Executive Summary

We believe that our unique business model gives us a competitive advantage in the industries in which we operate. To maintain such advantage across all of our segments, we believe it is imperative to retain key management whose skill sets are uniquely suited to our business model. As such, the retention and incentivization of our named executive officers was a key consideration of our compensation decisions in 2023 following the Transactions. We believe our compensation in 2023 following the Transactions was representative of, and an appropriate award for, our financial and operational successes during that period as described below.

2023 Financial and Operating Highlights

On September 12, 2023, TKO was formed through combination of the businesses of the UFC and WWE. In 2023 following the Transactions, we achieved several significant financial and operational results. Of particular note were the following achievements:

Significant Increases in Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA.

Revenue increased by $534.9 million, or 47%, to $1,675.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

oUFC revenue increased by $152.1 million, or 13%. This increase was primarily driven by $76.2 million of increased media rights and content from higher domestic and international rights fees resulting from increases in contractual revenues, higher fees associated with international renewals and one additional PPV event compared to the prior year period. Additionally, the increase in revenue was due to $42.6 million of greater live event revenue from having 26 events with live audiences compared to 21 events in the prior year and higher site fees, $29.5 million of higher sponsorship from new sponsors and increases in fees from renewals and $3.8 million of increased consumer products licensing revenue from greater video game royalties.

oWWE contributed revenue of $382.8 million for the period from September 12, 2023 through December 31, 2023 following its acquisition. This revenue was driven by $249.5 million of media rights and content primarily associated with domestic and international rights fees for WWE’s flagship programs, Raw, SmackDown and NXT, as well as $87.7 million of live event revenue which was primarily driven by site fees associated with WWE’s Crown Jewel premium live event in Saudi Arabia as well as hosting 75 other events with live ticketed audiences. Additionally, this revenue was driven by $27.6 million of consumer products licensing related to the sale of WWE-branded products and $18.0 million of sponsorship revenue from the sale of advertising.

Adjusted EBITDA increased by $180.4 million, or 29%, to $809.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

oUFC Adjusted EBITDA increased by $75.1 million, or 11%, to $755.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

oWWE contributed Adjusted EBITDA of $163.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

oCorporate Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased by $57.7 million, or 111%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

Noteworthy Strategic Activity.

Since September 12, 2023, have entered into media rights deals for WWE across key properties including SmackDown for US distribution with NBCUniversal/USA Network, NXT for US distribution with CW and Raw for US and worldwide distribution with Netflix. These deals secure WWE content distribution with premium partners under long-term arrangements.

Implemented an ongoing cost reduction program, primarily related to realizing synergy opportunities and integrating the combined operations of WWE and UFC.

UFC held 43 events that consistently delivered strong viewership and attendance and set several all-time records for gross revenue at the respective arenas.

Each WWE premium live event set a viewership record. Total WWE domestic viewership and hours viewed on Peacock increased significantly as compared to the prior year.

The effective leadership of our named executive officers was critical to our success in achieving these financial results and strategic activity milestones and, as a result, was a key factor when establishing incentive compensation levels and determining the compensation for our named executive officers for 2023, as further described below.

For a reconciliation of the differences between Adjusted EBITDA and the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and the reasons why our management believes that presentation of Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information regarding our financial condition and results of operations, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Segment Results of Operations” in this Annual Report.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This compensation discussion and analysis describes our executive compensation program for our named executive officers in respect of the period commencing on September 12, 2023, the date of consummation of the Transactions through December 31, 2023, which we refer to herein as “fiscal year 2023,” and includes a discussion of our compensation objectives and philosophy and provides context for the compensation actions reflected in the tabular disclosure that follows.

Our named executive officers for fiscal year 2023 were as follows:

NameAgeTitle
Ariel Emanuel62Chief Executive Officer (1)
Mark Shapiro54President and Chief Operating Officer
Andrew Schleimer46Chief Financial Officer
Seth Krauss53Chief Legal and Administrative Officer (2)

(1)In addition, Mr. Emanuel was appointed as Executive Chair of our Board in February 2024.

(2)Mr. Krauss initially served as Chief Legal Officer and was appointed Chief Legal and Administrative Officer following the consummation of the Transactions.

Compensation Objectives and Philosophy

Fiscal year 2023 was a milestone period for us with the consummation of the Transactions and several financial and operational achievements. We look forward to continuing to build on these significant achievements in 2024 and beyond.

Given that fiscal year 2023 was the initial period following the Transactions, the objective of our corporate compensation and benefits program was both to establish a qualified and skilled workforce necessary to jumpstart the combination of UFC and WWE while maintaining a competitive total compensation program that will retain this workforce in the future.

Our compensation structure includes pay-for-performance elements designed to align the interests of our named executive officers with those of our stockholders, motivate our named executive officers to achieve or exceed our targeted financial and strategic performance objectives and reward them for their achievements when those objectives are met. To help achieve these objectives, a meaningful portion of our named executive officers’ compensation is at-risk and provided in the form of both short-term variable or performance-based compensation and equity awards, the value of which is tied to the equity appreciation of our business. Further, our named executive officers’ involvement in and support of key strategic activity is considered when making determinations of any discretionary cash bonus awards.

The overall level of total compensation for our named executive officers is intended to be competitive with, the compensation paid to executives in the industries in which we compete for talent, subject to variation for factors such a

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Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2023.

Plan category:Number of Securities‎to be Issued Upon‎Exercise of‎Outstanding Options,‎Warrants, and RightsWeighted- Average‎Exercise Price of‎Outstanding Options,‎Warrants, and RightsNumber of Securities‎Available for Future‎Issuance Under‎Equity Compensation‎Plans (excludes‎securities Reflected in‎first column)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1)1,964,029(2)-(3)11,266,993(4)
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders---
Total1,964,02911,266,993

(1)Consists of the 2023 Incentive Award Plan and the 2016 Plan.

(2)Consists of restricted stock units issued under the 2023 Incentive Award Plan and the 2016 Plan, and performance stock units under the 2016 Plan, calculated using the target number of shares issuable in respect of such performance stock units.

(3)Weighted-average exercise price does not take into account any restricted stock units or performance stock units described above.

(4)Awards under the 2023 Incentive Award Plan may be issued in the form of restricted stock units, restricted stock, stock options, other stock or cash based awards and dividend equivalents. No additional awards will be granted pursuant to the 2016 Plan.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The table below sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock by:

each person who is known to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class or series of our capital stock;

each of our directors and named executive officers; and

all of our directors and executive officers as a group.

The amounts and percentages of Class A common stock and Class B common stock beneficially owned are reported on the basis of the regulations of the SEC governing the determination of beneficial ownership of securities. Under these rules, a person is deemed to be a beneficial owner of a security if that person has or shares voting power, which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of such security, or investment power, which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of any securities of which that person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership within 60 days, provided that any person who acquires any such right with the purpose or effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer, or in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having such purpose or effect, immediately upon such acquisition shall be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the securities which may be acquired through the exercise of such right. Under these rules, more than one person may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of the same securities.

The beneficial ownership of our voting securities is based on 82,321,595 shares of our Class A common stock and 89,616,891 shares of our Class B common stock, each issued and outstanding as of January 31, 2024. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by an individual or entity and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of common stock subject to options, warrants or other rights held by such person that are currently exercisable or that will become exercisable or will otherwise vest within 60 days of January 31, 2024 are considered outstanding, although these shares are not considered outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

Unless otherwise indicated, the address for each beneficial owner listed below is: c/o TKO Group Holdings, Inc., 200 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10010.

Class A Common Stock Owned(1)Class B Common Stock Owned(1)Combined Voting Power(2)
Name and Address of Beneficial OwnerNumber%Number%%
5% Equityholders
Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc.(3)89,616,89152.1%89,616,891100%52.1%
Silver Lake Equityholders(3)(4)89,616,89152.1%89,616,891100%52.1%
Patrick Whitesell(3)(5)89,616,89152.1%89,616,891100%52.1%
Vincent K. McMahon(6)20,352,10524.7%——11.8%
BlackRock, Inc.(7)6,339,1997.7%——3.7%
The Vanguard Group(8)5,995,3567.3%——3.5%
Lindsell Train Limited(9)5,885,1337.1%——3.4%
Michael James Lindsell(9)5,885,1337.1%——3.4%
Nicholas John Train(9)5,885,1337.1%——3.4%
Ninety One Plc(10)4,411,9785.4%——2.6%
Ninety One UK Limited(10)4,345,2155.3%——2.5%
Morgan Stanley(11)4,214,1675.1%——2.5%
Directors and Named Executive Officers
Ariel Emanuel(3)(12)89,629,42252.1%89,616,891100%52.1%
Peter C.B. Bynoe—————
Egon P. Durban(3)(4)89,616,89152.1%89,616,891100%52.1%
Dwayne Johnson96,558*——*
Bradley A. Keywell—————
Nick Khan53,894*——*
Steven R. Koonin4,761*——*
Jonathan A. Kraft11,265*——*
Seth Krauss—————
Sonya E. Medina—————
Mark Shapiro12,531*——*
Nancy R. Tellem—————
Carrie Wheeler3,132*——*
Andrew Schleimer—————
All directors and executive officers as a group (14 persons)89,811,56352.2%89,616,891100%52.2%
* Less than 1%

(1)Each TKO OpCo Unit (other than TKO OpCo Units held by us) is redeemable from time to time at each holder’s option for, at our election, newly issued shares of our Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, or to the extent there is cash available from the sale of newly issued shares of our Class A common stock, a cash payment equal to the closing price of one share of Class A common stock on the last full trading day immediately prior to the redemption date for each TKO OpCo Unit so redeemed, in each case, in accordance with the terms of the TKO Operating Agreement. In this table, beneficial ownership of TKO OpCo Units has been reflected as beneficial ownership of shares of our Class A common stock for which such TKO OpCo Units may be exchanged. When a TKO OpCo Unit is exchanged by a holder thereof, a corresponding share of Class B common stock will be cancelled.

(2)Represents the percentage of voting power of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock voting as a single class. Each share of Class A common stock entitles the registered holder to one vote per share and each share of Class B common stock entitles the registered holder thereof to one vote per share on all matters presented to stockholders for a vote generally, including the election of directors. The Class A common stock and Class B common stock will vote as a single class on all matters except as required by law or our certificate of incorporation.

(3)Based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 9, 2024, 89,616,891 shares of our Class A common stock consist of (i) 76,712,059 TKO OpCo Units (and an equal number of our Class B common stock) held of record by Endeavor OpCo, (ii) 6,362,799 TKO OpCo Units (and an equal number of our Class B common stock) held of record by January Capital HoldCo, LLC (“January HoldCo”), and (iii) 6,542,033 TKO OpCo Units (and an equal number of our Class B common stock) held of record by January Capital Sub, LLC (“January Sub” and together with Endeavor OpCo and January Holdco, the “EDR Subscribers”), in each case as of December 31, 2023. Endeavor is the managing member of Endeavor Manager, LLC, which in turn is the managing member of Endeavor OpCo. Endeavor OpCo is the managing member of January HoldCo, which in turn is the managing member of January Sub. As a result, Endeavor may be deemed to beneficially own the securities held of record by the EDR Subscribers. The address of each EDR Subscriber is c/o Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., 9601 Wilshire Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Beverly Hills, California 90210.

(4)Based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 9, 2024, Silver Lake West Holdco, L.P., Silver Lake West Holdco II, L.P., Silver Lake West VoteCo, L.L.C., and Egon Durban may be deemed to have shared voting power and shared dispositive power over 89,616,891 shares of our Class A common stock held by the EDR subscribers. Silver Lake West Holdco, L.P. and Silver Lake West Holdco II, L.P. (the “West Holdcos”) have designated members of the governing body of Endeavor and as a result may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the securities beneficially owned by Endeavor. Mr. Durban is the managing member of Silver Lake West VoteCo, L.L.C., which is the general partner of each of the West Holdcos. Mr. Durban is a director of TKO Group Holdings and is a Co-CEO and Managing Member of Silver Lake Group, L.L.C. Securities reported herein are held solely by subsidiaries of Endeavor. Investment funds managed by Silver Lake do not directly hold any equity securities of the Issuers. The principal office of each of Mr. Durban and each of the entities identified in this footnote is c/o Silver Lake, 2775 Sand Hill Road, Suite 100, Menlo Park, California 94025.

(5)Includes 89,616,891 shares of our Class A common stock beneficially owned by Endeavor. Patrick Whitesell is a member of the governing body of Endeavor and as a result may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the securities beneficially owned by Endeavor. Mr. Whitesell disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, if any. The principal office of Mr. Whitesell is c/o Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., 9601 Wilshire Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Beverly Hills, California 90210.

(6)Based on information known to the Company as of the date of his departure from the Company, Vincent K. McMahon is the holder of record of the shares of Class A common stock reported herein and has pledged (x) 3,484,006 of these shares as collateral to secure his obligations under a prepaid forward contract with Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. (“MSB”) and (y) 7,170,130 of these shares as collateral to secure his obligations under loans from Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association (“MSPB”), some or all of which shares may be sold by MSB and MSPB upon the occurrence of events set forth in the applicable documents governing such obligations.

(7)Based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 8, 2024, BlackRock, Inc. has sole voting power over 6,105,643 shares of our Class A common stock and sole dispositive power over 6,339,199 shares of our Class A common stock. The business address of BlackRock, Inc. is 50 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001.

(8)Based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 13, 2024, The Vanguard Group has shared voting power over 27,525 shares of our Class A common stock, sole dispositive power over 5,900,445 of our Class A common stock and shared dispositive power over 94,911 shares of our Class A common stock. The business address for The Vanguard Group is 100 Vanguard Blvd., Malvern, PA 19355.

(9)Based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 7, 2024, Lindsell Train Limited (“Lindsell Train”), Michael James Lindsell and Nicholas John Train have shared voting and shared dipositive power over 5,885,133 shares of our Class A common stock. Lindsell Train has investment discretion and voting power over several managed accounts that hold such shares of Class A common stock. Accordingly, Lindsell Train Limited may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of such Class A common stock. Each of Messrs. Lindsell and Train owns a significant membership interest in Lindsell Train and as such may be deemed to control shares held by Lindsell Train by virtue of his interest in Lindsell Train. The business address of Lindsell Train and Messrs. Lindsell and Train is 66 Buckingham Gate, London SWIE 6AU, United Kingdom.

(10)Based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 13, 2024, Ninety One Plc has shared voting power over 2,224,508 shares of our Class A common stock and shared dispositive power over 4,411,978 shares of our Class A common stock, and Ninety One UK Limited has shared voting power over 2,157,745 shares of our Class A common stock and shared dispositive power over 4,345,215 shares of our Class A common stock. Ninety One Plc is the parent entity of Ninety One UK. The business address of Ninety One UK Limited is 55 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7HB, United Kingdom.

(11)Based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 9, 2024, Morgan Stanley has shared voting power with respect to 3,782,792 shares of Class A common stock and shared dispositive power with respect to 4,200,763 shares of Class A common stock. The business address for Morgan Stanley is 1585 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.

(12)Includes 12,531 shares of our Class A common stock beneficially owned by Mr. Emanuel and 89,616,891 shares of our Class A common stock beneficially owned by Endeavor. Mr. Emanuel, our Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chair, is a member of the governing body of Endeavor and as a result may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the securities beneficially owned by Endeavor. Mr. Emanuel disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, if any.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

Related Person Transactions Policies and Procedures

Our Audit Committee has adopted a written Related Person Transaction Policy (the “Policy”), which sets forth our policy with respect to the review and approval or, ratification of all related person transactions. Under the Policy, related person transactions are to be reviewed and approved or ratified by (1) at least a majority of the “independent” directors (as defined in TKO’s bylaws) and (2) either (i) a majority of the Company’s Board or (ii) the Chief Executive Officer. Certain types of transactions are deemed pre-approved pursuant to standing pre-approval guidelines established by the Audit Committee.

A “related person transaction” is defined as, subject to certain exceptions as provided under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K, any transaction, arrangement or relationship (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which the company (including any of its subsidiaries) was, is or will be a participant, the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and in which any related person (as defined in the policy) had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. Pursuant to TKO’s bylaws, (x) prior to December 31, 2025, transactions between TKO Group Holdings and Endeavor (or its affiliates) must be approved by (i) a majority of the Board (including a majority of the WWE-designated directors or their successors) and (ii) a majority of the “independent” directors (as defined under TKO’s bylaws), and (y) following December 31, 2025, such transactions must be approved by (i) a majority of the Board and (ii) a majority of the Board of director’s “independent” directors (as defined under TKO’s bylaws). These approving bodies review the relevant facts and circumstances of the related person transaction as it deems necessary and advisable, including without limitation, whether the transaction is inconsistent with the interest of the Company and its stockholders and taking into account the Company’s organizational and governance documents.

Limited Liability Company Agreement of TKO OpCo

On September 12, 2023, Endeavor, TKO OpCo and TKO Group Holdings entered into the Limited Liability Company Agreement of TKO OpCo (the “TKO Operating Agreement”). The Company operates its business through TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries, in accordance with the terms of the TKO Operating Agreement. As sole managing member of TKO OpCo, TKO Group Holdings has control over all of the affairs and decision-making of TKO OpCo. As such, TKO Group Holdings is responsible for all operational and administrative decisions of TKO OpCo and the day-to-day management of TKO OpCo’s business. TKO Group Holdings will fund any dividends to TKO Group Holdings stockholders (if any) by causing TKO OpCo to make distributions to its equityholders, including TKO Group Holdings, subject to the limitations imposed by the TKO Operating Agreement.

The holders of common units of TKO OpCo, including TKO Group Holdings, will generally incur U.S. federal, state and local income taxes on their allocable share of any net taxable income of TKO OpCo. Net profits of TKO OpCo will generally be allocated to

its members pro rata in accordance with the percentages of their respective ownership of equity interests in TKO OpCo, though certain non-pro rata adjustments may be made to reflect tax depreciation, amortization and other allocations as required under applicable law or as provided for in the TKO Operating Agreement. The TKO Operating Agreement provides for cash distributions to the holders of common units for purposes of funding their tax obligations in respect of the taxable income of TKO OpCo that is allocated to them (or otherwise generally provides for the TKO OpCo members to be provided with liquidity), subject to available cash and any negative covenants in applicable loan agreements. Generally, these tax distributions are calculated using an assumed tax rate equal to the highest marginal combined income tax rate applicable to an individual or corporation resident in Los Angeles, California or New York, New York (whichever rate is higher), taking into account the deductibility of applicable state and local income taxes for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any limitations thereon, with the same assumed tax rate applicable to all TKO OpCo members. Distributions (including tax distributions) made in respect of common units are generally to be paid pro rata in respect of such common units.

The TKO Operating Agreement provides that, except as otherwise determined by TKO Group Holdings, if at any time TKO Group Holdings issues shares of our Class A common stock or any other equity or equity-linked security of TKO Group Holdings entitled to any economic rights, TKO OpCo will then issue an equal amount of common units (or other security with corresponding economic rights) of TKO OpCo to TKO Group Holdings. Similarly, except as otherwise determined by TKO Group Holdings, TKO OpCo will not issue any additional common units to TKO Group Holdings unless TKO Group Holdings issues or sells an equal number of shares of our Class A common stock. Conversely, except as otherwise determined by TKO Group Holdings, if at any time any shares of our Class A common stock are redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired, TKO OpCo will redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire an equal number of common units held by TKO Group Holdings upon the same terms and for the same price per security, as the shares of our Class A common stock are redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired. In addition, except as otherwise determined by TKO Group Holdings, TKO OpCo will not affect any subdivision (by any unit split, unit distribution, reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse unit split, reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or otherwise) of TKO OpCo Units unless it is accompanied by a substantively identical subdivision or combination of TKO Group Holdings common stock.

Subject to certain exceptions, TKO OpCo will indemnify all of its members and their officers and other related parties against all losses or expenses arising from claims or other legal proceedings in which any such person (in its capacity as such) may be involved or become subject to in connection with TKO OpCo’s business or affairs or the TKO Operating Agreement or any related document.

The TKO Operating Agreement provides that the members of TKO OpCo (other than TKO Group Holdings) (or certain permitted transferees thereof) have the right from time to time, subject to certain restrictions, to cause TKO OpCo to redeem any or all of their common units (with the simultaneous redemption of shares of our Class B common stock), in exchange for, at TKO Group Holdings’ election (subject to certain exceptions), either cash (based on the market price of a share of our Class A common stock) or shares of our Class A common stock, and if such redemption is made in exchange for shares of Class A common stock, it shall be effected as a direct purchase by TKO Group Holdings. If, on the date of the applicable exchange notice, the aggregate amount of TKO Group Holdings’ cash balance plus the aggregate amount of any loans by TKO Group Holdings to TKO OpCo as permitted under TKO Group Holdings’ cash management policy, in the aggregate, is in excess of $100 million, any exchange may only occur 30 days following the giving of notice by Endeavor.

Under the Governance Agreement, common units will be subject to restrictions on transfer, which are more fully described in the section entitled “—Certain Restrictions on the EDR Subscribers and Endeavor” below.

Governance Agreement

On September 12, 2023, we entered into a governance agreement with Endeavor, EDR OpCo, January Capital Sub, LLC, January Capital HoldCo, TKO OpCo and Mr. McMahon. On January 23, 2024, the parties amended the governance agreement to, among other things, increase the size of the Board from 11 to 13 directors and permit each of Mr. McMahon and Endeavor to appoint one additional director (as amended, the “Governance Agreement”). Pursuant to the Governance Agreement, WWE, the WWE Designees and Endeavor are entitled to certain director appointment rights relating to our Board as further described below. The Governance Agreement also places restrictions on the EDR subscribers’ ability to effect certain actions.

Prior to Mr. McMahon’s resignation from his position as Executive Chair and a member of the Board on January 26, 2024 (the “Executive Chair Sunset”), Mr. McMahon was also entitled to certain director appointment rights under the Governance Agreement. As of the Executive Chair Sunset, Mr. McMahon no longer has the right to designate any directors of the Company, and his designation rights passed to the WWE Designees (acting by majority) until December 31, 2025.

TKO Group Holdings Board Nominees

Appointment Rights Held by the WWE Designees

Until December 31, 2025, the slate of individuals nominated for election to the Board must include all six of the WWE Designees, provided that the WWE Designees shall at all times include at least three independent directors. Until December 31, 2025, the WWE

Designees (acting by majority) have the right to designate the successors to all six of the WWE Designees, three of whom must be independent.

Appointment Rights Held by Endeavor

Until the date on which Endeavor no longer owns, directly or indirectly, more than 20% in the aggregate of the voting power of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of TKO Group Holdings, the slate of individuals nominated for election to the Board must include the EDR Designees, provided that the EDR Designees shall at all times include at least three independent directors. In the event that a majority of the Board determines in good faith that an EDR Designee is not qualified to serve on the Board or does not satisfy an applicable law or other regulation of the SEC or NYSE, then such individual will not be included in the slate of nominees and Endeavor will be permitted to submit a replacement nominee to the slate of individuals nominated for election to the Board in accordance therewith. TKO Group Holdings will take all necessary action within its control so that each replacement nominee is nominated and elected to the Board.

Other Appointment Provisions

Under the Governance Agreement, subject to the rights to designate a replacement as otherwise set forth therein, the full Board has the right to designate nominees for election at annual stockholder meetings for, or to fill vacancies in, all director positions. Subject to the right to designate a replacement, in the event that the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board determines in good faith that a nominating person’s designee that must be independent does not satisfy the applicable independence criteria, then we will not be required to include such individual in the slate of nominees to be recommended by the Board for election; however, the nominating person of any such individual is permitted to submit a replacement nominee that would qualify as independent. For so long as any nominating person has the right to designate an EDR Designee or a WWE Designee, in the event that (a) a vacancy is created at any time by the death, disability, retirement, resignation or removal of an EDR Designee or a WWE Designee or (b) an individual is disqualified by the Board or the nominating and corporate governance committee, then the applicable nominating person may designate another individual as its designee to either fill the applicable vacancy or be included on the slate of nominees to be recommended by the Board for election at its next meeting of the stockholders, and TKO Group Holdings will take all necessary action within its control so that each replacement nominee is nominated and elected to the Board.

At any meeting convened before December 31, 2025 at which directors are to be elected, the EDR subscribers and each of their permitted transferees have agreed to vote all of their shares of common stock in favor of the election of the WWE Designees, and the EDR subscribers and each of their permitted transferees have agreed to vote all of their shares of our common stock against any action take in respect of the removal of any such WWE Designees from the Board. At any meeting of the stockholders of TKO Group Holdings convened before December 31, 2025 at which directors are to be elected, Mr. McMahon and each of his permitted transferees have agreed to vote all of their shares of our common stock in favor of the election of the EDR Designees and against any action taken in respect of the removal of any EDR Designee from the Board.

Certain Restrictions on the EDR Subscribers and Endeavor

During the period beginning on the date of the execution of the Governance Agreement and ending on the two-year anniversary of the date of its execution, except for certain permitted transfers or transfer of shares of our Class A common stock or TKO OpCo common units at a price below the 30-day VWAP of shares of our Class A common stock (or other applicable principal security of TKO Group Holdings from time to time), the EDR subscribers will not transfer any (i) shares of our Class A common stock or (ii) TKO OpCo common units without the approval of a majority of the WWE Designees. Following the two-year anniversary of the completion of the Transactions, the EDR subscribers will be permitted to transfer their shares of our Class A common stock or TKO OpCo common units, other than transfers that (A) would be at a price above the 30-day VWAP of shares of our Class A common stock (or other applicable principal security of TKO Group Holdings from time to time) and (B) would result in any third party controlling 25% or more of the voting power or economic interests of TKO Group Holdings or TKO OpCo, which transfers will require either (i) the approval of a majority of the WWE Designees or (ii) the acquiror in such a proposed transfer to make a pro rata offer on equivalent terms to all of the other securityholders of TKO Group Holdings and TKO OpCo, as applicable.

Without the approval of a majority of the independent directors of our Board, Endeavor and its controlled affiliates have agreed not to (a) acquire all of the outstanding equity interests in, or all or substantially all of the assets of, TKO Group Holdings or TKO OpCo, (b) increase their direct or indirect beneficial ownership or economic or voting interests in TKO Group Holdings or TKO OpCo above 75% of the then-current outstanding economic or voting interests of TKO Group Holdings or TKO OpCo by virtue of additional acquisitions or (c) effect a sale of TKO Group Holdings or TKO OpCo that would result in the receipt of a disproportionate “control premium” (or other disparate consideration) relative to other stockholders of TKO Group Holdings (except for amounts explicitly and directly in respect of services contemplated by the services agreement).

During the period beginning on the date of the execution of the Governance Agreement and ending on the later of (i) the five-year anniversary of the completion of the Transactions and (ii) the six-month anniversary of Endeavor ceasing to hold or beneficially own, directly or indirectly (including through controlled affiliates) more than 20% (in the aggregate) of the voting power of the then-

outstanding shares or capital stock of the Company, Endeavor has agreed not to, and will cause its controlled affiliates (other than TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries) not to, (a) other than de minimis passive investments, acquire or invest in any professional wrestling league that is competitive with WWE or other professional mixed martial arts league that is competitive with UFC (acting alone or in concert with any person (including any other affiliates of Endeavor)) or (b) represent (i) any professional wrestling league that is competitive with WWE, (ii) any athlete or wrestling talent in respect of their contractual relationship with TKO OpCo or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) any former wrestling talent of WWE in respect of their contractual relationship with any professional wrestling league that is competitive with WWE.

Services Agreement

On September 12, 2023, TKO OpCo entered into a services agreement with Endeavor (the “Services Agreement”) whereby Endeavor and its affiliates provide, or cause to be provided, certain services to TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries, and TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries provide, or cause to be provided, certain services to Endeavor and its affiliates. The services provided pursuant to the Services Agreement cover the following general areas:

Transition Services: Endeavor and its affiliates provide transition services to TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries on a temporary basis to support the transition of certain human resources functions to TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries.

Administrative Services: Endeavor and its affiliates provide administrative support services to TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries in the areas of finance and accounting, tax, human resources, information technology, facilities, insurance, procurement, legal, corporate communications and business development. TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries provide administrative support services to Endeavor and its affiliates in the areas of facilities, legal support, information technology and human resources.

Commercial Services: Endeavor and its affiliates provide commercial services to TKO OpCo and its subsidiaries, covering streaming services, live event production, content production, ticketing and hospitality, content licensing, gaming-related services, marketing and event services, consumer product licensing and sponsorships.

The Services Agreement became effective upon the completion of the Transactions and, subject to certain termination rights of each party, has an initial term of seven years with successive automatic renewal periods of 12 months each, unless Endeavor provides written notice of its intent not to renew. The services that are designated to be provided on a transitional basis will be provided for the period of time specified in the Services Agreement, subject to one extension of up to an additional three months by mutual agreement.

Pursuant to the Services Agreement and in consideration for the services provided thereunder, TKO OpCo has agreed to pay Endeavor: (i) the fees set forth below plus (ii) any and all reasonable, actual out-of-pocket costs, fees, assessments or expenses (including, without limitation, insurance premiums, license and subscription fees, rent and certain costs of third party service providers engaged in the ordinary course) incurred in connection with the performance of such services (clause (ii), “Additional Fees”):

WWE Service Fees: WWE has a grace period for 180 days following the completion of the Transactions (the “Grace Period”) during which time it shall pay no fee. For the 12 months following the Grace Period (the “Initial WWE Period”), WWE shall pay a service fee of $25 million. For the 12 months following the Initial WWE Period, WWE shall pay a service fee of $35 million, and for any subsequent 12-month periods, the service fee paid by WWE shall increase by 1% annually; and

UFC Service Fees: For the 12 months following the completion of the Transactions (the “Initial UFC Period”), UFC shall pay a service fee of $35 million. For the 12 months following the Initial UFC Period, UFC shall pay a service fee of $35 million, and for any subsequent 12-month periods, the service fee paid by UFC shall increase by 1% annually;

provided that any Additional Fees in excess of $50,000.00 that are not consistent with historical practice between the parties for any individual service (including business travel and related expenses) shall require advance written approval (not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned) of the service recipient.

Pursuant to the Services Agreement, Endeavor permits TKO to use Endeavor’s aircrafts. The incremental cost to Endeavor for such use of the aircrafts during the period in 2023 following the consummation of the Transactions was $483,736. Incremental cost is calculated on the basis of cost-per-mile based upon the variable costs of the flight, including fuel, variable maintenance and ground transportation.

Registration Rights Agreement

On September 12, 2023, we entered into a registration rights agreement with Endeavor, Mr. McMahon and other stockholders of the Company (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), whereby Endeavor and Mr. McMahon have demand rights that require the Company to file registration statements registering their respective shares of Class A common stock (including shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise by members of TKO OpCo of their redemption rights described elsewhere herein). The registration rights agreement also includes customary piggyback rights, subject to certain priority provisions.

The Registration Rights Agreement requires us to file and thereafter keep effective a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act providing for the offer and sale of all or part of Mr. McMahon’s registrable securities, and to use reasonable best efforts to become and remain eligible to use Form S-3, and thereafter file and keep effective a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act providing for the offer and sale of Mr. McMahon’s registrable securities. In addition, the Registration Rights Agreement required us to register for the offer and sale of Mr. Khan’s registrable securities for a period of 90 days following the date of effectiveness of the registration statement on Form S-4. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, on September 15, 2023, the Company filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-274541) with the SEC, which became effective on September 19, 2023. We also agreed to reasonably assist and cooperate with underwritten shelf takedown offerings for sales with an aggregate offering price of at least $50 million, and will bear all registration expenses, other than customary underwriting commissions of fees.

Stockholders Agreement

On April 2, 2023, concurrently with the execution of the transaction agreement, Endeavor and Mr. McMahon entered into the stockholders agreement (the “Stockholders Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things and subject to certain exceptions set forth therein, Mr. McMahon agreed:

not to transfer shares of WWE common stock prior to completion of the Transactions;

to provide customary assistance in respect of any required regulatory filings and comply with the “clear skies” provision of the transaction agreement; and

following the completion of the Transactions, to provide Endeavor with a right of first offer in respect of the transfer of his shares of common stock, subject to certain exception, including in connection with any margin loans or pledges with respect to such securities.

Certain provisions of the Stockholders Agreement terminated upon the closing of the Transactions.

Management Equity

For more information, please see Part III, Item 11. “Executive Compensation.”

Indemnification Agreements

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our executive officers and directors that provides, in general, that we will indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law in connection with their service to us or on our behalf.

Employment Arrangements

We have entered into employment and other compensation agreements with certain of our named executive officers. See “Executive Compensation.” Each of Messrs. Emanuel, Shapiro and Krauss also receive compensation from Endeavor for their services to Endeavor, the cost of which is borne by Endeavor.

Other Transactions

On January 22, 2024 (the “Effective Date”), the Company and WWE entered into an IP Assignment Agreement with certain affiliates of Mr. Johnson, pursuant to which WWE assigned to Mr. Johnson (via one of his affiliates) “The Rock” trademark and certain related trademarks, service marks, ring names, taglines and other intellectual property assets (the “Assigned IP”). On the Effective Date, WWE also entered into an Independent Services Contractor and Merchandising Agreement with Mr. Johnson and certain of his affiliates (the “Johnson Services Agreement”), pursuant to which Mr. Johnson agreed to provide to WWE certain promotional and other services. Under the terms of the Johnson Services Agreement, Mr. Johnson further agreed to license the Assigned IP and Mr. Johnson’s name, likeness and certain other intellectual property rights to WWE for use in connection with certain categories of licensed products related to professional wrestling for up to 10 years, subject to certain earlier termination rights. As consideration for Mr. Johnson’s services pursuant to the Johnson Services Agreement, and in respect of the intellectual property grants and licenses made by Mr. Johnson and his affiliates in connection therewith, Mr. Johnson received an award of restricted stock units in respect of Class A common stock, in an amount equal to $30,000,007 (the “Johnson Equity Award”). Subject to certain forfeiture and acceleration events, the Johnson Equity Award will vest as follows: 25% on the Effective Date; 25% upon completion of certain services described in the Services Agreement; 25% on December 31, 2024; and the remaining 25% in equal monthly installments from January 31, 2025 through December 31, 2025. Prior to the Effective Date, Mr. Johnson received annual royalties from WWE in connection with his appearances in WWE-produced content, merchandise, and other services performed for WWE. For the year ended December 31, 2023, Mr. Johnson received royalties in an aggregate amount of approximately $491,000. Following the Effective Date, Mr. Johnson will continue to receive such annual royalties from WWE and will be entitled to receive royalties in connection with the sale of licensed products that utilize the Assigned IP and his name, likeness and other intellectual property rights in accordance with the Johnson Services Agreement.

On November 14, 2023, Mr. McMahon (the “Selling Stockholder”) completed an underwritten secondary offering of 8,400,000 shares of our Class A common stock at an offering price of $79.80 per share. Pursuant to the underwriting agreement, the Company purchased 1,308,729 shares of its Class A common stock from the underwriters, at a price of $76.41 per share, which was equal to the price paid by the underwriters to the Selling Stockholder, resulting in an aggregate purchase price by the Company of approximately $100.00 million.

Controlled Company

Because Endeavor controls more than 50% of our combined voting power for the election of directors, we are considered a “controlled company” for the purposes of the NYSE’s rules and corporate governance standards. As a “controlled company,” we are permitted to, and intend to, elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements of the NYSE, for example, those that would otherwise require that we establish a nominating and corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors. Additionally, we may elect to rely on additional exemptions for so long as we remain a “controlled company.” Accordingly, holders of our Class A common stock will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the rules and corporate governance standards of NYSE, and the ability of our independent directors to influence its business policies and affairs may be reduced. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure—We are exempt from certain corporate governance requirements since we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of NYSE rules, and as a result our stockholders do not have the protections afforded by these corporate governance requirements.” For a detailed discussion of the composition of our Board see “—Structure of the Board of Directors” below.

Director Independence

Under our bylaws, a director qualifies as “independent” if such director (a) is qualified as an independent director under the NYSE rules and (b) is not (x) an affiliate, equity security or interest holder, partner, member (in the case of each of the foregoing other than in respect of less than 5% of the voting or economic interest of the applicable person) of TKO OpCo, Endeavor, TKO Group Holdings or any of their respective affiliates and (y) any employee, director, officer, or an immediate member of family (as applicable) of any person described in (x) or of TKO OpCo, Endeavor or any of their respective affiliates.

The Board has determined that each of Mr. Bynoe, Mr. Keywell, Mr. Koonin, Mr. Kraft, Ms. Medina, Ms. Tellem and Ms. Wheeler, seven of our 12 directors, qualifies as “independent” under the NYSE rules and our bylaws.

Structure of the Board of Directors

Composition

The Governance Agreement provides that, until December 31, 2025, our slate of individuals nominated for election to the Board will include all six of the WWE Designees. Until the Executive Chair Sunset, Mr. McMahon had the right to designate the nominee for his seat, one non-independent director and one independent director. Following the Executive Chair Sunset and until December 31, 2025, the then-appointed WWE Designees (acting by majority) have the right to designate the successors to all six of the WWE Designees, three of whom must qualify as “independent” as defined under the Company’s bylaws and described above under “—Director Independence.”

The Governance Agreement also provides that, until the date on which Endeavor no longer owns, directly or indirectly, more than 20% in the aggregate of the voting power of the then-outstanding shares of our capital stock, the slate of individuals nominated for election to the Board will include the EDR Designees, provided that the EDR Designees will at all times include at least three directors who qualify as “independent.” In the event that a majority of the Board determines in good faith that an EDR Designee is not qualified to serve on the Board or does not satisfy an applicable law or other regulation of the SEC or NYSE, then such individual will not be included in the slate of nominees and Endeavor will be permitted to submit a replacement nominee to the slate of individuals nominated for election to the Board in accordance therewith. We will take all necessary action within our control so that each replacement nominee is nominated and elected to the Board.

Each of Egon P. Durban, Ariel Emanuel, Bradley A. Keywell, Jonathan A. Kraft, Sonya E. Medina, Mark Shapiro and Carrie Wheeler are the Endeavor Designees, and each of Peter C.B. Bynoe, Dwayne Johnson, Nick Khan, Steven R. Koonin, and Nancy R. Tellem are the WWE Designees. In addition, Vincent K. McMahon, prior to his departure, was a WWE Designee.

For further information regarding the Governance Agreement and the structure of the Board, see Part III, Item 13. “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence —Governance Agreement.”

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services

The following table presents aggregate fees billed to us for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 by our independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”):

Fee Category20232022
Audit Fees$ 3,010,000$ 586,250
Audit-Related Fees1,885,433—
Tax Fees5,0004,426
All Other Fees——
Total Fees$ 4,900,433$ 590,676

Audit Fees

Audit fees in 2023 consisted of fees for the audit of the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the reviews of the Company’s interim consolidated financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. In 2022, such fees consisted of fees for the audit of TKO OpCo’s annual consolidated financial statements and reviews of TKO OpCo’s interim consolidated financial statements.

Audit-Related Fees

Audit-related fees in 2023 consisted of fees for professional services related to our business combination of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (“UFC”) and World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC (f/k/a World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.) (“WWE”) businesses under TKO Operating Company, LLC (f/k/a Zuffa Parent, LLC) (“Zuffa” or “TKO OpCo”), including in relation to our registration statement on Form S-1 and our resale registration statement on Form S-1.

Tax Fees

The tax fees listed above for 2023 and 2022 were billed for tax compliance and advice.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy and Procedures

The formal written charter for our audit committee requires that the audit committee pre-approve all audit services to be provided to us and all other services (review, attest and non-audit) to be provided to us by our independent registered public accounting firm, other than de minimis non-audit services approved in accordance with applicable SEC rules.

The audit committee has adopted a policy (the “Pre-Approval Policy”) that sets forth the procedures and conditions pursuant to which audit and non-audit services proposed to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm may be pre-approved. The Pre-Approval Policy generally provides that the audit committee will not engage our independent registered public accounting firm to render any audit, audit-related, tax or permissible non-audit service unless the service is either (i) explicitly approved by the audit committee (“specific pre-approval”) or (ii) entered into pursuant to the pre-approval policies and procedures described in the Pre-Approval Policy (“general pre-approval”). Unless a type of service to be provided by our independent registered public accounting firm has received general pre-approval under the Pre-Approval Policy, it requires specific pre-approval by the audit committee or by a designated member of the audit committee to whom the committee has delegated the authority to grant pre-approvals.

The chairperson of the audit committee, to whom the audit committee has delegated authority to make pre-approval decisions requested between meetings of the audit committee, must report any such pre-approval decisions to the audit committee at its next scheduled meeting. If circumstances arise where it becomes necessary to engage the independent registered public accounting firm for additional services not contemplated in the original pre-approval categories or above the pre-approved amounts, the audit committee requires pre-approval for such additional services or such additional amounts. Any proposed services exceeding pre-approved cost levels or budgeted amounts will also require specific pre-approval. For both types of pre-approval, the audit committee will consider whether such services are consistent with the SEC’s rules on auditor independence.

The above-described services provided to us by our independent registered public accounting firm prior to the Transactions were provided under engagements entered into prior to our adoption of our pre-approval policies and, following the Transactions, in accordance with such policies.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

(a)(1) The financial statements as indicated in index set forth on page F-1.

(a)(2) Financial statement schedules have been omitted since they either are not required, not applicable, or the information is otherwise included in the consolidated financial statements or the related footnotes.

(a)(3) Exhibits:

Exhibits

Exhibit NumberDescriptionFormFile No.ExhibitFiling DateFiled/Furnished Herewith
2.1#Transaction Agreement, dated April 2, 2023, by and among Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., Endeavor Operating Company, LLC, Zuffa Parent, LLC, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., New Whale Inc., and Whale Merger Sub Inc.424(b)(3)333-271893Annex A08/22/2023
3.1Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of TKO Group Holdings, Inc.S-8333-2744804.109/12/2023
3.2Amended and Restated Bylaws of TKO Group Holdings, Inc.S-8333-2744804.209/12/2023
4.1Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of September 12, 2023, by and among TKO Group Holdings, Inc., Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. and Vincent K. McMahon.8-K001-417974.109/12/2023
4.2Indenture between World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, dated December 16, 2016.8-K001-161314.112/16/2016
4.3Form of 3.375% Convertible Senior Note due 2023.8-K001-161314.112/16/2016
4.4First Supplemental Indenture, among World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., New Whale Inc. and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee.8-K001-161314.209/12/2023
4.5Description of Securities.*
10.1Amended and Restated Operating Agreement of TKO Operating Company, LLC.8-K001-4179710.109/12/2023
10.2Governance Agreement, dated as of September 12, 2023, by and among Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., Endeavor Operating Company, LLC, January Capital Sub, LLC, January Capital HoldCo, LLC, TKO Operating Company, LLC, TKO Group Holdings, Inc., and Vince McMahon.8-K001-4179710.209/12/2023
10.3Amendment No. 1, dated as of January 23, 2024, to the Governance Agreement, dated as of September 12, 2023, by and among Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., Endeavor Operating Company, LLC, January Capital Sub, LLC, January Capital HoldCo, LLC, TKO Operating Company, LLC, TKO Group Holdings, Inc., and Vincent K. McMahon.*
10.4#Services Agreement, dated as of September 12, 2023, by and among Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. and TKO Operating Company, LLC.8-K001-4179710.309/12/2023
10.5Form of Indemnification Agreement.8-K001-4179710.1509/12/2023
10.6+Term Employment Agreement, dated as of September 12, 2023, by and between TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and Ariel Emanuel.8-K001-4179710.1609/12/2023
10.7+Term Employment Agreement, dated as of January 21, 2024, by and between TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and Mark Shapiro.8-K001-4179710.101/23/2024
10.8+Term Employment Agreement, dated as of January 12, 2024, by and between TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and Seth Krauss.8-K001-4179710.101/12/2023
10.9+Term Employment Agreement, dated as of November 5, 2023, by and between TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and Andrew Schleimer.10-Q001-4179710.811/07/2023
10.10Stockholders Agreement, dated April 2, 2023, by and between Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. and Vincent K. McMahon.8-K001-4037310.104/03/2023
10.11+TKO Group Holdings, Inc. 2023 Incentive Award Plan.S-8333-2744804.309/12/2023
10.12+Form of Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Award Agreement under the TKO Group Holdings, Inc. 2023 Incentive Award Plan.8-K001-4179710.2009/12/2023
10.13+Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement under the TKO Group Holdings, Inc. 2023 Incentive Award Plan (Sell to Cover).8-K001-4179710.2109/12/2023
10.14+Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement under the TKO Group Holdings, Inc. 2023 Incentive Award Plan (Net Settlement).8-K001-4179710.2209/12/2023
10.15+World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan.DEF 14A001-16131Annex A03/11/2016
10.16+Amended and Restated Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy.*
10.17First Lien Credit Agreement dated as of August 18, 2016, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, the lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent, collateral agent, swingline lender and issuing bank, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., as syndication agent, and Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Barclays Bank PLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and KKR Capital Markets LLC as co-documentation agents.S-1333-25490810.1003/31/2021
10.18First Refinancing Amendment, dated as of February 21, 2017, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, the lenders party thereto and Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent.S-1333-25490810.1103/31/2021
10.19First Lien Incremental Term Facility Amendment, dated as of April 25, 2017, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent and the initial First Additional Term B Lender.S-1333-25490810.1303/31/2021
10.20Third Amendment dated as of March 26, 2019, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto.S-1333-25490810.1403/31/2021
10.21Fourth Amendment dated April 29, 2019, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto.S-1333-25490810.1503/31/2021
10.22Fifth Amendment dated September 18, 2019, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto.S-1333-25490810.1603/31/2021
10.23Sixth Amendment dated June 15, 2020, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto.S-1333-25490810.1803/31/2021
10.24Second Refinancing Amendment dated as of January 27, 2021, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, the lenders party thereto and Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent.S-1333-25490810.1203/31/2021
10.25Eighth Amendment, dated October 27, 2021, to the First Lien Credit Agreement, dated as of August 18, 2016 among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto, as amended.8-K001-4037310.110/27/2021
10.26Third Refinancing Amendment dated as of April 10, 2023, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, the lenders party thereto and Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent.10-Q001-4037310.405/09/2023
10.27#Tenth Amendment, dated as of June 26, 2023, to the First Lien Credit Agreement, dated as of August 18, 2016, among Zuffa Guarantor, LLC, UFC Holdings, LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto, as amended.10-Q001-4037310.608/08/2023
10.28+Employment Agreement, dated as of November 22, 2023, by and between TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and Nick Khan.*
10.29#, ^Independent Contractor Services and Merchandising Agreement, dated as of January 22, 2024, by and among World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC, 7 Bucks Entertainment, Inc., DJIP, LLC and Tag-Team Enterprises, Inc.*
10.30#,^IP Assignment Agreement, dated as of January 22, 2024, by and among DJIP, LLC, Tag-Team Enterprises, Inc., 7 Bucks Entertainment, Inc., World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC and TKO Group Holdings, Inc.*
10.31^Award Agreement, dated as of January 22, 2024, by and between TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and Dwayne Johnson*
21.1Subsidiaries of TKO Group Holdings, Inc.*
23.1Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm of TKO Group Holdings, Inc.*
31.1Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
31.2Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
32.1Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.**
32.2Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.**
97.1TKO Group Holdings, Inc. Policy for Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.*
101.INSInline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.*
101.SCHInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.*
101.CALInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.*
101.DEFInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.*
101.LABInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.*
101.PREInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.*
104Cover Page Interactive Data File – formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101.*
  • Filed herewith.

** Furnished herewith.

Annexes, schedules and/or exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Registrant undertakes to furnish supplemental copies of any of the omitted schedules or similar attachments upon request by the SEC.

^ Certain portions of this exhibit (indicated by “[***]”) have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K. The Registrant undertakes to furnish unredacted versions of the exhibit upon request by the SEC.

+ Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary

None.

‎

SIGNAT****URES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

TKO GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
Date:February 27, 2024By:/s/ ARIEL EMANUEL
Ariel Emanuel
Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer
(principal executive officer)
By:/s/ ANDREW SCHLEIMER
Andrew Schleimer
Chief Financial Officer
(principal financial officer)

‎

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

SignatureTitle or CapacityDate
/s/ ARIEL EMANUELExecutive Chair, Chief Executive Officer and DirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Ariel Emanuel(principal executive officer)
/s/ ANDREW SCHLEIMERChief Financial OfficerFebruary 27, 2024
Andrew Schleimer(principal financial officer)
/s/ SHANE KAPRALChief Accounting OfficerFebruary 27, 2024
Shane Kapral(principal accounting officer)
/s/ MARK SHAPIROPresident and Chief Operating OfficerFebruary 27, 2024
Mark Shapiroand Director
/s/ NICK KHANPresident of WWE and DirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Nick Khan
/s/ PETER C.B. BYNOEDirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Peter C.B. Bynoe
/s/ EGON P. DURBANDirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Egon P. Durban
/s/ DWAYNE JOHNSONDirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Dwayne Johnson
/s/ BRAD KEYWELLDirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Brad Keywell
/s/ STEVEN R. KOONINDirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Steven R. Koonin
/s/ JONATHAN A. KRAFTDirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Jonathan A. Kraft
/s/ SONYA E. MEDINADirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Sonya E. Medina
/s/ NANCY R. TELLEMDirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Nancy R. Tellem
/s/ CARRIE WHEELERDirectorFebruary 27, 2024
Carrie Wheeler

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Page #
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID No. 34)F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022F-4
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021F-5
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive (Loss) Income for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021F-6
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’/Members’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021F-7
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021F-8
Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsF-9

‎

F-1

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTIN****G FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of TKO Group Holdings, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive (loss) income, stockholders'/members’ equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Acquisition of WWE – Refer to Notes 1, 2 and 4 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company was formed for the purpose of facilitating the business combination

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