This week, WWE experienced a sudden surge in it’s stocks following the announcement of a partnership between Netflix and WWE to stream the flagship show, RAW, starting from January 2025. Within few minutes, WWE dropped another surprise by appointing The Rock as the member in Board of Directors of the UFC and WWE merger, the TKO.
However, following the lawsuit filed against Vince McMahon on January 25, today WWE lost a sponsorship for their next pay per view event from their long time partner Slim Jim.
Slim Jim contemplates WWE deal after Vince McMahon gets charged
Vince McMahon’s recent scandal has begun to diminish WWE’s popularity and affect its business. The company is scheduled to host the 36th annual Royal Rumble match tomorrow, and unexpectedly, Slim Jim, one of the largest sponsorship for the upcoming Royal Rumble match.
Today Slim Jim released an official statement saying, “Slim Jim values integrity and respect in all of our partnerships. Given the recent disturbing allegations against Vince McMahon, at this time we’ve decided to pause our promotional activities with WWE. This decision reflects our commitment to our brand values and responsibility to our community. We will continue to monitor the situation and base our future engagements on our values and what’s best for our brand.”
The lawsuit against McMahon was filed by Janel Grant, who worked for WWE from 2019 to 2022. She alleged that McMahon sexually exploited her, assaulted her, and forced her to participate in sex acts with other WWE employees including John Laurinaitis and former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. Jim’s move to pull it’s ads from the Royal Rumble could have a significant impact on WWE’s revenue and reputation, given that Slim Jim stands as one of their primary sponsors.
Slim Jim and WWE sponsorship deal
Slim Jim, a popular meat snack brand in the United States, has a long history of collaboration with WWE dating back to the 1990s. In the early 1990s, former WWE King of The Ring, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, promoted Slim Jim by wearing their gear in WWE Live shows and starring in Slim Jim commercials with the famous tagline “Snap Into a Slim Jim!”
The partnership was renewed in August 2023 when Slim Jim approached WWE to be a sponsor. The two brands announced a record-breaking partnership, making Slim Jim the presenting sponsor of WWE’s premium live events, starting with SummerSlam on August 5, 2023. Slim Jim also announced a trip to WrestleMania 40 and the advertisements featured current WWE stars like L.A. Knight and Bianca Belair.
It is unclear if Slim Jim will resume its partnership with WWE after the Royal Rumble and the future of the partnership remains uncertain, as Slim Jim has not officially terminated the deal, but has only paused it until further notice.
