Business was booming for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2023.
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According to a financial report from TKO Group Holdings — the parent
company for both the UFC and World Wrestling Entertainment — the
Las Vegas-based promotion generated $1.3 billion in revenue, which
is up 13% from the previous year. Meanwhile, UFC revenue for the
fourth quarter of 2023 was $282.8 million, up from $271.7 million
in 2022.
The promotion’s increase in profitability was driven by a 34%
increase in revenue for live events to a record $168 million in
2023. The UFC held 43 live events last year, and the increase was
driven by ticket revenues and site fees, per a release.
Meanwhile, sponsorship revenue increased 18% to 196 million — also
a record — and was driven by “new brand partners and renewal
increases.” The UFC also reported $870.6 million in revenue from
media rights and content, which was up from $794.4 million in 2022,
and $57.4 million in consumer products, an increase from $53.6
million the previous year.
All told, TKO is targeting revenue between $2.575 billion and
$2.650 billion for 2024 between the UFC and WWE.
“TKO is off to a strong start following record financial
performance in 2023 at both UFC and WWE,” said Ariel Emanuel, CEO
of TKO, in a release. “We secured Anheuser-Busch as the official
beer partner of UFC, delivered a transformative deal to bring WWE’s
Raw to Netflix beginning in 2025, and expanded our international
footprint in important growth markets. We have more conviction than
ever in the combination of these businesses and TKO’s ability to
drive topline growth and margin expansion, generate meaningful free
cash flow, and deliver sustainable long-term value for
shareholders.”