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The UFC recently filed its first major earnings report after its merger with the WWE, and the numbers are nothing short of staggering.
The MMA giant and parent company Endeavor announced it was acquiring the WWE in April under the banner of TKO Group Holdings.
On Thursday, we got our first look at what that means financially for the two behemoths ahead of a scheduled earnings call.
And the outlook is very, very prosperous.
The UFC produced $611.9 million in revenue across media rights and content, live events, sponsorship and consumer product licensing over the first two quarters of 2023.
The largest chunk of that came from media rights and content, backed by a massive deal with media partner ESPN. Media rights and content paid out the $224.1 million in the first quarter and then $211.7 million in the second quarter per the report.
In total, the UFC brought in a staggering $611.9 million in revenue over the first six months of 2023. That represents an estimated 16 percent growth year-over-year.
But what’s perhaps more surprising is that the number pails in comparison to that of the WWE. The pro wrestling giant generated $707.9 million over that same time frame. That number was bolstered by a second quarter that saw $410.3 million come in the door, a 25 percent increase over the same quarter just one year prior.
That number, of course, is due larger to the announcement of the merger in April as well as the annual two-day WrestleMania event.
The UFC expects its numbers to continue to grow in the years to come. Especially on the back of a massive sponsorship deal with Bud Light worth $100 million.
What those numbers mean for fighter, however, is yet to be seen.
The UFC lost heavyweight champion and superstar Francis Ngannou earlier this year after failing to agree to a contract extension. Ngannou is now, perhaps, the biggest star in combat sports.
So it may well be time for Dana White and co. to loosen the purse strings. Especially with such staggering revenues on record.