The UFC will not profit from its planned event at the White House.
The event, which is currently slated to take place June 14, is expected to take place on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. The idea began as a proposal by president Donald Trump, and shortly thereafter, UFC CEO Dana White, along with TKO, began building a viable plan to make the event a reality.
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The expectation is that the event will feature an octagon surrounded by seating for no more than 5,000 people on the South Lawn. At the Ellipse, there is to be a larger viewing party area, which White has claimed will host up to 85,000 people to watch the event on large screens.
The one-of-a-kind event presents many logistical hurdles and is currently projected to cost around $60 million. TKO president Mark Shapiro stated matter-of-factly on a quarterly financial call Wednesday that the event will not turn a profit, with an aim of recouping half of the total amount spent through sponsors and new partnerships.
“By the time we get done, all is said and done with the event, what we play the fighters and the fan fest we’re gonna have, that could move north,” Shapiro said about the $60M price tag for the White House event (h/t Jed I. Goodman via X). “It’s definitely not moving south – it could move north. Bottom line is, it’s still a moving target. We are working to determine, on a parallel track, a package of inventory, in and around the weekend of events, that we can monetize primarily with corporate partners – B2B players, which will offset half of the spend. Even if that $60(M) goes up, or rides up on us, we believe we can offset half of the spend. Today, we see it as $60(M) offsetting $30(M).
“I would mention we have several current and prospective partners that are pursuing multi-year partnerships with TKO assets that likely will be inclusive of the White House event. We have a lot of current and prospective partners that would like to be involved, and are inquiring about inventory, as part of their greater partnership deals they either already have, or are negotiating with us for the future. But I want to be clear about something: we will not profit from the White House event independently. We will not be making money on America’s 250th anniversary.”
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The UFC’s other one-off event at Sphere in Las Vegas in 2024 cost over $20 million. The White House number is a significantly larger financial burden. Despite not profiting from the White House event, TKO is viewing it as an investment for the future.
White has stated in recent interviews that he expects the event to be the most-viewed fight card promotion has ever put on. The event will be simulcast on CBS and Paramount+. According to White, matchmaking for the card is already complete, although there are still logistical issues to iron out.
“This is an investment for the long term,” Shapiro said. “This is about earned media, this is about sampling new fans, casual viewers, a spectacle and a stage that will ultimately expand our audience our viewership, and our success on Paramount+.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: TKO exec explains financial burden of UFC White House event
