8 companies that could be interested in buying WWE, according to financial analysts

CNBC wrote this week that Khan talked about Comcast's NBCUniversal as a potential buyer.

WWE recently sold exclusive live streaming rights to NBCUniversal's Peacock service, suggesting it could be a good fit.

Khan said that what Comcast lacks is the "intellectual property that some other companies have," like Disney's "treasure trove of IP."

Khan said: "I think they look at us as an entity that has a treasure trove of intellectual property. A lot of it has not been exploited yet.

"Now it's up to us to monetize it properly and show the community exactly what we have."

In a note to clients, MKM Partners analyst Eric Handler also said Comcast, amongst other companies, makes sense as an acquirer, CNBC reported.

Alan Gould of Loop Capital told Deadline, though, that Comcast may be loathe to commit to such a deal after spending $39 billion on its acquisition of Sky.

In Handler's note to MKM Partners clients, the analyst also referenced Disney as a potential WWE buyer.

Through ESPN's broadcast deals with UFC, PFL MMA, and Top Rank boxing, Disney already has a hulking combat sports portfolio.

Adding WWE, Deadline observes, could be a logical companion to broaden its offerings in those sports. 

Gould of Loop Capital said Disney, like Comcast, may be loathed to commit to another acquisition, having already bought 20th Century Fox and Hulu.

The MKM Partners analyst Handler also listed Amazon as a potential acquirer — something longtime media analyst Gould, of Loop Capital, agreed with.

Deadline noted that Amazon has been buying the rights to sports programming.

The streamer has tennis deals in place to air ATP World Tour events in the UK, exchanged terms with MLB giant New York Yankees, and has the exclusive rights to "Thursday Night Football" with the NFL.

Being so bullish on sports rights, it may not balk at the WWE's estimated $5 billion valuation.

Another company that both Gould and Holding agree could be interested in making a play for WWE is Netflix.

Deadline, though, reports Netflix is not as likely a suitor as the aforementioned juggernauts as it typically airs films and TV shows. "It has avoided sports and event programming," Deadline said.

However, the publication noted that WWE is unlike most sports companies as it is a blend of entertainment and sports. This could work in its favor.

In his note to clients, Handler listed three other companies that could be interested in making a play for WWE.

Here they are:

• Apple — a $2.5 trillion technology company
• Warner Bros. Discovery — a $36.7 billion media giant
• Paramount Global — a $16 billion mass media firm

Gould's final pick was:

• Fox — an $18 billion mass media company

According to Deadline, Fox may not be able to justify the likely $5 billion purchase of WWE as its valuation is not too much higher.

Likewise, Paramount Global could run into a similar issue; its market cap on Thursday was around $15.5 billion.

"This is a challenging environment with the equities of most of the logical buyers depressed, but there is demand for live event programming, and it is the first time that one could realistically think that WWE could be for sale," Loop Capital's Gould told Deadline.

CNBC, meanwhile, reported that there are very few global entertainment companies that come up for sale with a seemingly attractive price tag.

WWE may well be one of those few companies.

Though CNBC said WWE isn't currently in sale talks, "flood gates" may soon open and an offer could become too good to turn down, the publication said.