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In the 47-minute podcast, one of the most influential and dynamic executives in the business Mark Shapiro explains what is next in media, how relationships, strategy, timing and luck lead to billion dollar deals, his point of view on Ari Emanuel, Bob Iger, Dana White, Nick Khan and Triple H and some of the best advice a young person trying to break into the business could ever receive

And, does Shapiro want to succeed Iger at the top of Disney?

That and much more as Shapiro, the President and Chief Operating Officer of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. and President and Managing Partner of WME Group, is the guest on “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.”

The pod was filmed in front of a live studio audience last week as part of the “Off The Record with Andrew Marchand presented by WSC Sports” series.

For access to our twice-a-week podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

The Rundown …

* Where does Shapiro see the opportunity in sports media

* Today nothing is more important than live experiences, premium content & live content

* How do you make the $7.7B UFC/Paramount+ deal and the $1.625B WWE/ESPN agreement happen

* TKO is negotiating 150 properties per year so it needs to know the market everywhere

* Shapiro said Fox was “lazy” and wanted to go south on UFC right fees before ESPN+ came in

* The importance of strategy, relationships and timing

* How the courting goes with Jimmy Pitaro, Bob Iger, Burke Magnus and Kevin Mayer do a deal like the UFC-ESPN+ one

* Originally, ESPN+ wasn’t going to have the pay-per-views, but Shapiro and Ari Emanuel were bringing a gift

* The gift that Shapiro and Emanuel brought Iger that caused them to sweat

* Shapiro, at 30, taking on Dick Ebersol

* The PR gurus, Chris LaPlaca, Mike Soltys & Josh Krulewitz, who teamed up with Shapiro, to put ESPN on offense with George Bodenheimer’s blessing

* Shapiro offers some of the best advice any 22-year-old out of college wanting to enter the sports business or any business could receive

* How did Shapiro’s relationship with Ari Emanuel begin and grow

* Shapiro said that Emanuel are like brothers & are brutally honest with each other

* How the UFC deal came together for $4B, which Shapiro said is now worth $12-15B

* How does Shapiro balance instinct vs. data in decision making

* The difference lessons Shapiro learned from Barry Diller and Jeff Zucker

* What do we not see about Dana White

* Shapiro says White is a “beast” with a human element

* What it is like to work with Nick Khan and Triple H on WWE

* How WWE is churning out more premium content than anyone

* Where does Shapiro see AI going

* Shapiro thinks AI will help productivity, but you need soul

* What does Shapiro see next in his career

* Shapiro’s is betting on the experience economy with Emanuel in their new company called MARI

* What was his relationship with Iger when he ran ESPN

* Would Shapiro be interested in succeeding Iger to lead Disney

* What is Shapiro’s favorite ride at Disney

* Some Related Sports Media Podcasts

* Mark Shapiro is The Main Event, Round 1

* Jay Marine explains Amazon’s Sports strategy

* How an ESPN Original navigated the Worldwide Leader in Attention

* The future of baseball & local rights with SNY president Steve Raab

* The future of sports with the most powerful executive in sports radio

* Sponsor: WSC Sports … Tell them Marchand sent you

* On Deck: Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media

* Subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com