WWE Layoffs Have Reportedly Begun Following UFC Merger

One of the inevitable consequences of any corporate merger — be it Disney and Fox, Comcast and NBC Universal, or indeed now WWE and UFC — is the large spending cuts to follow. Sadly, labor costs are typically seen as one of the largest expenses on the balance sheets, leading to a reduction in staff where redundancies now exist in the new company. Leading up to the completed merger between WWE and UFC, there was a good deal of apprehension in the WWE offices about coming layoffs. Today, a number of WWE employees were let go from their positions.  

According to PWInsider, Jamie Horowitz — Executive Vice President of Development and Digital since 2021 — and Catherine Newman, who served as Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing since last summer, were among some of the higher-ups to be laid off. Additionally, Amanda Bloom, Director of Enterprise Master Data & Governance, announced her own departure via LinkedIn. Bloom notably played a large role in designing aspects of the WWE Network and facilitating its move to Peacock. She also seemed quite shocked by her dismissal, calling today "a day I'm not sure I thought would ever come" having worked at WWE for eight years. Yet she still ended her post with a heartwarming "#KevinandSamiForever." 

Much of WWE's staff remains on edge, hoping not to receive a Zoom invitation from the company, knowing what is sure to accompany it. WWE's streaming and podcasting divisions are said to have been hit the hardest, with those dismissed currently numbering somewhere between 40 and 50.