UFC Reveals $30M Loss On White House Card

The UFC lost approximately $30 million staging its unprecedented White House card in June, though the promotion's overall revenue still climbed sharply in the second quarter of 2026.

TKO Group Holdings disclosed the figure Monday during an earnings call with investors, according to MMA Fighting. CFO Andrew Schleimer said the company offset some of the costs through sponsorship deals but collected no ticket revenue from the event. "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," he said.

UFC Revenue Climbed Despite White House Event Loss

Early projections put costs for the South Lawn card north of $60 million before partnerships brought the final shortfall down to $30 million. The UFC never sold tickets to UFC Freedom 250, which was staged at the White House on June 15 as part of what organisers called a celebration of American combat sports.

Despite the hit, TKO reported UFC revenue jumped 29 percent year over year in Q2, climbing from $119.8 million to $535.7 million. A new broadcast deal with Paramount that launched in January drove a $64.7 million increase in media rights fees. Schleimer told investors the one-time loss was expected and did not damage the company's long-term growth.

The promotion has not announced plans for another government-venue event.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — UFC owners reveal how much money was ultimately lost staging UFC White House card in June