BKFC’s increasing ticket sales, highlighted by multiple sellouts and a new broadcast deal with DAZN, indicate its growing success in the combat sports industry, with founder David Feldman optimistic about future growth and potential leadership in the market.
Metrics, metrics everywhere! But when it comes to combat sports promotions, ticket sales might just be the holy grail. For BKFC, it’s a crystal-clear sign that they’ve outpaced nearly every competitor.
With a debut card in Spain this Saturday, BKFC is diving into a whirlwind of events. And guess what? They’re heading to Philly for the first time ever this December. While UFC loves to brag about their live gate numbers, other promotions? Not so much.
BKFC’s founder, David Feldman, thinks he knows the reason behind this hush-hush approach.
“The UFC sells tickets,” Feldman told MMA Fighting. “Big boxing matches do too. But those mid-tier MMA guys? Not really. Smaller ones might sell 1,000 tickets—barely counts as selling.”
For BKFC, though, Feldman can’t stop talking about their ticket sales. Since their first show in 2018, those numbers have been climbing steadily.
BKFC 63 in Sturgis, S.D., was a game-changer: 15,000 fans packed in for Britain Hart’s headline fight. A record-breaking moment!
Feldman takes immense pride in BKFC’s ticket-selling prowess. It’s a major selling point for investors eager to jump into the combat sports arena.
“It’s my pitch to investors,” Feldman said confidently. “We’re one of the few promotions actually selling tickets.”
“Just last weekend, we sold 5,400 tickets! Spain’s projected at 6,700. Denver? Probably around 4,000. Poland and Montana are next—all aiming for a minimum of 4,000 actual sales. That’s huge in today’s market where many events are just papered up.”
And by “papered up,” he means giving away free tickets to fill seats—an all-too-common practice.
Feldman admits BKFC once gave away more than they sold. But those days are gone.
“I won’t lie—I might’ve fibbed five years ago saying we sold 3,000 when it was only 1,000,” Feldman confessed. “Now? We’re actually selling them all.”
“Maybe three or four percent are giveaways now, but we’re selling the rest,” he added.
With rising ticket sales, a fresh DAZN deal, and Conor McGregor joining as co-owner, Feldman sees 2024 as BKFC’s biggest year yet—and an even brighter future beyond.
“We thought we’d go under ten times but always found a way,” Feldman reflected. “I see no end in sight—we’re knocking on the No. 1 door!”