WWE
Kirsten Polley joined WWE in 2020 after more than six years at CAA, where she’d worked on landmark deals, including the SEC’s 10-year media rights agreement with ESPN, alongside Nick Khan, CAA’s former co-head of television. She now says it was a no-brainer to follow Khan to WWE after he was named president and chief revenue officer of the entertainment and media company.
“When we joined WWE in the summer of 2020, we were still very much at the height of the pre-vaccine pandemic,” Polley recalled in an email. “Most sports were at a standstill. WWE never stopped, though. Never missed a show. That told me a lot about the engine and drive of not only the company, but its incredible talent and employees.”
She now touches nearly every facet of WWE’s business, managing the company’s broadcast deals with NBC and The CW; hospitality offerings through a multiyear deal with On Location; an expansive partnership with Fanatics; licensing deals with the NFL, MLB and SEC, among others; and WrestleMania celebrity appearances from the likes of Bad Bunny and Snoop Dogg. Those deals and others allowed WWE in 2022 to post a record $1.3 billion in revenue, marking an 18% year-over-year increase. Polley continues to manage those wide-ranging verticals following WWE’s merger with UFC to form TKO Group Holdings.
“These past four years at WWE have been the greatest times for me professionally. From groundbreaking media rights agreements to record-breaking gates and ratings to our partnerships with best-in-class organizations,” Polley wrote. “It’s been an honor to have been part of this journey with the entire company. And we are just getting started.” — Chris Smith
Kirsten Polley
Senior Vice President, Business Operations, WWE
Age: 34
Born: Los Angeles
Education: UCLA, bachelor’s degree
Advice to your 20-year-old self: Bet on people.
What my friends/family think I do all day: Hang out with The Rock.
How I deal with stress in the workplace: Avoiding stress out of the workplace.
App I use most: WhatsApp.
First social media platform I signed up for: Facebook.
Social media platform I use/follow most today: TikTok.
Person in sports business I’d most like to meet: Michael Rubin.
Sports business leaders should be more mindful of … : Viewership consumption habits. How, where and when fans consume content.
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