After the deal was announced in early April, WWE shares soared to their highest point in nearly four years. The stock is up more than 50% so far this year.
Some are worried that a return to a pay-per-view model for WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania, is on the horizon. Last month, it streamed exclusively on NBCUniversal's Peacock, where it generated the streaming service's. Though NBCU doesn't release specific streaming numbers for the event, only the Super Bowl outpaced WrestleMania for the most watched hours of any live event on Peacock, according to the company.
WWE declined to comment for this article. In late March, before the UFC deal was announced, WWE CEO Nick Khan said the company keeps fans' price sensitivity in mind.