TKO loses $30M on White House UFC event
Updated 3 months ago3 new reports, including NBC News, The Hill, TechCrunch.
The short version
TKO Group Holdings lost $30 million on a June mixed martial arts event held at the White House. The company cited higher-than-normal costs for the UFC Freedom 250 event.
TKO Group Holdings reported a $30 million loss from a June mixed martial arts event held at the White House.2,3,4 The event, named UFC Freedom 250, featured a 4,300-seat arena built specifically for the occasion.2,3 TKO Group Holdings is the parent company of the UFC and WWE.1
The company stated that costs for the event were significantly higher than normal.4 TKO partially offset the costs with sold-out global partnerships inventory.4 Andrew Schleimer, TKO's chief financial officer, confirmed the financial impact of the event.4
TKO raised its full-year revenue guidance for 2026 based on strong demand for UFC and WWE events.1 The White House event was held to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.2
“With regards to UFC Freedom 250, we incurred significantly higher-than-normal costs, which we partially offset with sold-out global partnerships inventory.”
Why it matters
TKO Group Holdings is a publicly traded company that owns and operates the UFC and WWE, two major global sports entertainment brands.1
The UFC Freedom 250 event was a mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, a combat sport that combines striking and grappling techniques from various martial arts disciplines.2,3
This account was written from the 4 reports listed below, filed by 4 independent outlets, and checked against them line by line. It is not a copy of any one of them. Spotted an error? Tell us.
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