WWE’s expansion of corporate partnerships has reached new levels—and it might not stop at the LED boards or folding tables.
With Slim Jim-branded tables already making their debut across RAW, SmackDown, and NXT, it’s becoming clear that no surface is off-limits. Now, even the ring gear Superstars wear could be next in line for advertising space.
During a breakdown of WWE’s monetization strategy, Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer made it clear that TKO’s direction is full-blown brand integration.
“I expect ads on ring gear soon. Seriously. That’s not a joke. That’s where this is going. There’s no limit to it. If there’s a blank space on screen, TKO wants to monetize it.”
The company’s shift under Nick Khan and Ari Emanuel has prioritized revenue streams over presentation. Meltzer emphasized this isn’t about inserting commercials—it’s about embedding advertising into the show’s DNA.
“TKO’s business is to sell sponsorships. That’s their real priority now. We’ve already got sponsored matches, sponsored segments, everything down to the names of events. I mean, they’ll put logos anywhere they can.”
“It’s not like the old days where you had a few advertisers and just ran commercials in between matches. This is baked into the presentation now. It’s full immersion branding.”
Garrett Gonzales compared the branding approach to UFC walkouts, packed with logos from head to toe.
“It kind of reminds me of UFC walkouts with the Monster logos all over everything. That’s where we’re headed in WWE?”
Meltzer responded without hesitation:
“We’re already there. It’s going to be even more intense. They’re trying to turn every frame of WWE content into an ad vehicle. If they could sell a sponsorship for the pyro, they would.”
He also drew a contrast with AEW, pointing out that Tony Khan’s focus remains on creative booking—not corporate branding.
“Tony’s not out there cutting big corporate deals or figuring out how to get Red Bull to sponsor the main event. That’s not where his head is.”
“And because of that, AEW’s not monetizing anywhere near the level WWE is. Not even close. There’s no big advertising infrastructure on that side. It’s a different mentality.”
WWE flirted with this idea over a decade ago. When Brock Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012, he brought the Jimmy John’s logo with him—plastered prominently across his fight shorts. It was a rare example of personal sponsorship bleeding into WWE’s on-screen product. At the time, it was unusual. Now, it may just become the norm.
With WWE RAW set to continue evolving under TKO’s strategy and the Netflix spotlight, every inch of screen time might soon be treated as ad real estate—including what Superstars are wearing.
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Would you be okay seeing Superstars walk to the ring in sponsor-covered gear? Is this the future of wrestling—or a branding overload? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.