The UFC skilled a uncommon lower in income for the third quarter in 2024 however TKO Group Holdings as a complete nonetheless earned a revenue with a large yr forward in 2025.
New monetary disclosures had been launched on Wednesday with the UFC income dropping 11 % — $42.6 million to $354.9 million — primarily on account of one much less pay-per-view and two much less Struggle Evening occasions in comparison with the identical time interval in 2023. The income loss from media rights was $50.4 million however that was partially offset by a rise in sponsorship income, which was up $10.2 million.
Regardless of holding three fewer occasions throughout the third quarter in 2024 in comparison with 2024, the UFC nonetheless stayed nearly lifeless even when it got here to stay occasion income on account of a rise in general ticket gross sales yr over yr.
Whereas the UFC reported a loss in income for the quarter, TKO Group Holdings — the guardian firm for UFC and WWE — nonetheless elevated general income by 52 % — $232.1 million to $681.2 million. That improve was because of WWE with $242.7 million in income.
“TKO’s stable third quarter outcomes replicate continued power throughout UFC and WWE, notably in stay occasions and model partnerships,” TKO CEO Ari Emanuel stated in a press launch together with the monetary outcomes. “In gentle of this continued momentum, we now anticipate to ship on the higher finish of our full-year 2024 steerage vary for each income and Adjusted EBITDA.
“Moreover, two weeks in the past we introduced the authorization of a strong capital return program and an settlement to amass industry-leading sports activities belongings that may energy our profile, give us higher scale, strengthen our place within the sports activities market, and speed up returns for shareholders. Simply over a yr since UFC and WWE got here collectively to type TKO, our conviction on this enterprise is as robust as ever.”
The most recent monetary disclosure additionally famous the conclusion of considered one of two UFC antitrust lawsuits after a settlement was reached and preliminary approval was handed down by the courts. Underneath phrases of the settlement, TKO is ready to pay out $375 million to settle the primary of the lawsuits with a $125 million cost already put into escrow in October with the remaining $250 million anticipated to be paid in 2025.
A second antitrust lawsuit towards the UFC remains to be pending.
The following yr is anticipated to be enormous for TKO with WWE kicking off a large 10 yr, $5 billion deal to maneuver its flagship sequence Monday Evening Uncooked to Netflix whereas Smackdown goes to USA Community. WWE’s different program titled NXT already started airing on the CW in a separate deal that was beforehand closed.
In the meantime, the UFC is anticipated to start negotiations on a brand new TV deal in early 2025 as the present contract with ESPN involves an in depth on the finish of subsequent yr. Most consultants imagine the UFC is in for an enormous improve in general media rights, particularly with the MMA promotion as the one main sports activities property up for grabs for potential TV or streaming companions for the subsequent three years.
It’s potential that the UFC probably triples its broadcast rights deal from the one struck with ESPN that was initially price $1.5 billion over 5 years (a further two years was finally added together with ESPN taking on pay-per-view broadcasts for the UFC).
