 | |
| Founded | January 7, 1953 |
|---|---|
| Style | Professional wrestling Sports entertainment |
| Headquarters | Stamford, Connecticut |
| Founder(s) | Jess McMahon or Vincent J. McMahon |
| Parent | Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. (1953–1982) Titan Sports, Inc. (1982–1999) World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (1999–2002) World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (2002–2023) TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (2023–present) |
| Formerly | Capitol Wrestling Corporation World Wide Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment |
The history of American professional wrestling promotion WWE dates back to the early 1950s when it was founded on January 7, 1953 as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC). The public branding of the company has undergone several name changes throughout the years, from the CWC to the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1963, then the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979, and to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002. Since 2011, it has branded itself solely as WWE. On September 12, 2023, Endeavor, the parent company of mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship, and WWE merged the two companies into a new parent company, TKO Group Holdings. WWE and UFC continue to operate as separate divisions of the company with WWE focusing on professional wrestling and UFC focusing on mixed martial arts. In 2023, WWE's legal name was changed to World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC, though the branded name remained WWE.[1]
WWE is the largest pro wrestling promotion in the world. It has promoted some of the most successful wrestlers and storylines, and featured some of the most iconic and significant matches and moments in the history of sports entertainment. WWE airs several high-profile programs, such as Raw and SmackDown, in more than 150 countries, hosts at least 12 pay-per-view events a year including its flagship event "WrestleMania", and holds approximately 320 live events a year throughout the world. In 2014, WWE launched the first 24/7 streaming network which would eventually showcase the entire WWE video library.[2]
- ^ "Notification of Removal From Listing and/or Registration Under Section 12(B) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE Official Corporate Website. Archived from the original on November 22, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014.