The UFC White House event in June led to a $30million loss for the promotion, according to parent company TKO Group Holdings.
However, things aren’t all doom and gloom for UFC CEO Dana White and his bosses, as the organisation still saw a healthy increase of revenue for the second quarter of 2026.
The breakdown
On June 14, the UFC held a historic show on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
It was attended by president Donald Trump and celebrities like Mark Zuckerberg and Tyson Fury.
Justin Gaethje scored a huge upset in the main event to dethrone Ilia Topuria of his lightweight title while Ciryl Gane became the interim heavyweight champion by knocking out Alex Pereira.
Tickets were unavailable to the general public with around 4,300 spectators in the arena.
Upwards of 80,000 fans gathered at the nearby Ellipse park to watch the fights on big screens — free with entry won through a ballot.
The event — officially called UFC Freedom 250 — cost around $60m to stage, but the promotion was able to recoup some money through partnerships and sponsorships.
“With regards to UFC Freedom 250, we incurred significantly higher than normal costs,” TKO chief financial officer Andrew Schleimer told investors on Monday.
Schleimer said these costs were ‘partially offset with sold-out global partnerships inventory.’
He added: “As a reminder, we did not sell tickets and therefore did not record any live events revenue.
“Given the event’s profile, which as anticipated, resulted in an approximate $30m loss.
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“Our margins at UFC as well as on a consolidated basis were meaningfully impacted.”
TKO reported UFC’s total revenue at $535.7m for the second quarter of 2026, with sister company WWE — following a $21billion merger in 2023 — at $620.9m.
In total, the entire company had a revenue of $1.55bn and net income of £$309.9m.
The UFC’s revenue was an increase of 29 per cent year over year, largely driven by a $64.7m increase in media rights.
In August 2025, the promotion revealed a seven-year deal with CBS and Paramount to be exclusive US rights holder at a cost of $1.1bn per year.
The full UFC White House card was shown entirely on Paramount+, with 17 million viewers tuning in on the streaming platform across the US and Latin America.
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The event also averaged 8.2 million viewers during the night, becoming the most-watched live event to exclusively air on Paramount+.
“From UFC Freedom 250 to the FIFA World Cup, TKO continues to deliver on the biggest stages and this quarter reinforced our 2026 execution story,” president of TKO Mark Shapiro said.
“Our decision to raise full-year guidance reflects both our performance to date and our confidence in TKO’s multi-year trajectory.
“Our global fan base is expanding, and we are capitalizing on the commercial promise across ticketing, premium hospitality, marketing partnerships, and financial incentive packages.
“The demand in the experience economy is undeniable and positions us well for multi-year growth, margin expansion, and overall value creation.”
It was always expected the White House show would generate a loss for the UFC, given the cost of replacing the grass on the South Lawn alone was a whopping $700,000.
UFC Schedule
There are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.
The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.
On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.
With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.
But it’s clear the company are in a great position for the rest of this year.
Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 return against Max Holloway generated the highest gate in promotional history before a single punch was thrown just weeks after Freedom 250.
Ironically, McGregor landed zero significant strikes against Holloway, injuring himself seconds into the fight before it was stopped after just 69 seconds.
