Andrew Yang, a former Democratic presidential candidate and entrepreneur, criticized TKO Group Holdings on Sunday regarding WrestleMania 42. Yang questioned TKO's handling of the Las Vegas event and the recent departures of WWE talent.
"It seems that TKO has really screwed up WWE/Wrestlemania with ads and celebs and getting away from the heart of pro wrestling - and talented performers are paying the price," Yang stated on X.
Several WWE performers were recently released or had their contracts not renewed. Yang's comments align with fan concerns about the number of advertisements during the show.
Despite the criticism, WWE reported that WrestleMania generated significant revenue, marking one of the company's highest-grossing events. The two-night event drew over 106,000 attendees. WWE stated that WrestleMania Saturday was the most-viewed telecast of the year on ESPN2, and WrestleMania Sunday was the most-viewed telecast of the entire weekend on ESPN. WWE World, a fan experience, achieved record-breaking paid-experience sales. The event also set a new digital record with over 1.3 billion views across social platforms.