The COVID-19 pandemic significantly boosted the UFC’s popularity and financial success, with a 68% fan base growth during this period, leading to record-breaking ticket sales, sponsorships, and anticipation for lucrative future broadcast deals.
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on many industries. Movie theaters teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, and countless restaurants shut their doors for good. Yet, surprisingly, the pandemic might’ve been a boon for the UFC.
In recent years, the UFC’s financial growth has been nothing short of meteoric. Revenues have soared annually. Sure, media rights deals like the one with ESPN remain crucial, but ticket sales and sponsorships have exploded to levels never seen before.
Multiple factors contributed to this surge. However, the global pandemic stands out as a pivotal catalyst in boosting the UFC’s popularity and reach.
“Going through COVID definitely didn’t hurt us,” UFC CEO Dana White shared with Bloomberg. “We were the only sport on TV.”
“Fights that should have been doing 300,000 buys were doing a million,” he continued. The fan base swelled by an astonishing 68% during COVID.
A growth spurt of 68% is mind-boggling! Especially considering the UFC was already thriving with live events and pay-per-view long before the pandemic hit.
The real kicker? The UFC retained that newfound fan base and has continued to expand ever since.
Just recently, UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden pulled in over $16 million at the gate. That’s second only to the McGregor-headlined debut there in 2016, which raked in $17.7 million.
In Edmonton, a card sold out with more than 16,000 fans present and a live gate exceeding $2.6 million.
Come January, the UFC will host its first pay-per-view event at the state-of-the-art Intuit Dome near Los Angeles. It’s home to the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. And guess what? More events are lined up in places like Saudi Arabia and Sydney in early 2025.
The Saudi event promises a massive financial boost due to hefty site fees from the government. The last event there came with a $20 million fee—this next one might top that!
Looking ahead to 2025, the UFC will renegotiate its TV deal—a potential game-changer compared to its current $1.5 billion contract with ESPN over five years. Analysts predict fierce competition from giants like Amazon and Netflix could drive prices even higher.
In short, don’t expect the UFC’s momentum to slow down anytime soon!