UFC Parent Company Lost $30M on White House Freedom 250 Event, TKO Exec Says
Bloomberg/Getty ImagesAndrew PetersAug 5, 2026The UFC Freedom 250 event may havedrawn historic viewership ratings, but it wasn't a profit for UFC's parent company. Andrew Schleimer, the chief financial officer. . .
Bloomberg/Getty ImagesAndrew PetersAug 5, 2026The UFC Freedom 250 event may havedrawn historic viewership ratings, but it wasn't a profit for UFC's parent company. Andrew Schleimer, the chief financial officer of TKO Group, said Monday that the event resulted in a $30 million loss. "Given the event's profile, which as anticipated, resulted in an approximate $30 million loss, our margins at UFC as well as on a consolidated basis were meaningfully impacted," Schleimer said, per BBC'sLorraine McKenna. Schleimer said the event had significantly higher costs than a typical UFC event, which the company "partially offset with sold-out global partnerships inventory. "President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and a number of other notable names were in attendance at the event. Tickets were not sold to the public, though reports indicated that some guests were granted special access for $1. 5 million. While the event didn't turn a profit for TKO, it's still fair to say that it was a success for the UFC. The first-ever UFC event at the White House drew 17 million total viewers across the United States and Latin America, averaging 8. 2 million viewers across the seven fights. There was also plenty of entertainment value since all seven bouts ended with a KO or a TKO, a first in UFC history. Freedom 250 streamed exclusively on Paramount+, with whom the UFC signed a seven-year deal last August that has an average annual value of $1. 1 billion. MLB Trade Deadline Recap 📝