UFC finances for the first half of 2023 show $611.9 million in revenue, despite the fighters themselves receiving a smaller piece of the pie.
A week after its $10 billion merger with WWE became official under Endeavor‘s TKO Group Holdings conglomerate, the UFC reported strong finances for the first half of 2023.
Total revenues of $611.9 million for the first six months of 2023 was a 16% increase year over year. Media rights covered most of that, with a $50 million YoY increase to $438.5 million. Live event revenue soared 57% to $63.7 million, sponsorship revenue increased 12%, and consumer product licensing revenue went up 9%.
Here’s a breakdown of the key metrics from UFC’s full 2022 fiscal year:
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- UFC reported record revenue of $1.14 billion. This is up from $1.03 billion for 2021, with total operating expenses decreasing by $45 million to $595.7 million.
- Net income increased from $272.3 million to $387.2 million — a 34% increase that will be even higher if UFC’s fiscal trends extend to the second half of the year.
- UFC’s big year in 2022 did have its downsides. Fighter pay was down $32.8 million for the year despite the spike in both revenue and profits. This underscores an industry-wide problem in combat sports and mixed martial arts where revenue isn’t shared equitably.
- LowKickMMA estimated that 2022 revenue sharing decreased from just under 20% to 13-15%. For context, unionized professional leagues like the NBA share revenue with the owners at a 50-50 split.
It was a record 2022 for UFC, with 2023 looking like it could blow those banner numbers out of the water. While its fighters struggle to get a commensurate piece of the pie, UFC’s financial outlook has never been better.
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