UFC lost $30 million on Trump White House fight

Saman Shafiq, USA TODAYTue, August 4, 2026 at 6:56 PM UTC

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A star-studded UFC event held on the White House South Lawn for America's 250th birthday celebration cost the company tens of millions of dollars, but executives say the financial pain was part of the plan.

TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC and WWE, revealed Aug. 3 that UFC's Freedom 250 event generated an approximately $30 million loss after the company spent about $60 million to stage the June 14 spectacle.

The event coincided with President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and featured a UFC card unlike any in the promotion's history, drawing thousands of invited guests, senior administration officials, business leaders and military service members to the White House.

Despite the loss, TKO reported more than $1.5 billion in revenue during the second quarter of 2026 and said the event helped strengthen sponsorship relationships and attract new business partners.

All match results: Who won the UFC Freedom 250 fights?

Why did UFC lose money on Freedom 250?

The biggest reason was simple: UFC didn't sell tickets.

Unlike traditional pay-per-view events that generate revenue from ticket sales, Freedom 250 was an invitation-only event attended by roughly 4,000 guests on the White House grounds.

In its earnings report, TKO said the absence of ticket revenue contributed to lower live events and hospitality revenue during the quarter.

"The decrease in live events and hospitality revenue was due to a decrease in ticket sales revenue, which was largely driven by the absence of ticket sales for UFC Freedom 250 and one fewer Numbered Event," the company said.

The company partially offset those costs through sponsorships, media exposure and partnership agreements tied to the event.

TKO says the loss was expected

Executives stressed that the financial outcome matched internal projections.

Chief Financial Officer Andrew Schleimer told investors during the Aug. 3 earnings call that Freedom 250 carried significantly higher costs than a typical UFC event but delivered benefits beyond immediate revenue.

"As a reminder, we did not sell tickets and therefore did not record any live events revenue," Schleimer said. "Given the event's financial profile, which, as anticipated, resulted in approximately $30 million loss, our margins at UFC, as well as on a consolidated basis, were meaningfully impacted."

Pressed further on the event's performance, Schleimer said the company landed almost exactly where it expected.

"We've held true to what that level of overall loss slash investment was going to be," he said.

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UFC says event helped secure new partners

While Freedom 250 produced a sizable loss on paper, TKO executives argued the event created long-term business opportunities.

Schleimer said UFC used the high-profile showcase to attract new sponsors and partners whose deals could generate revenue for years to come.

"We did use this to leverage this event and its value to sign up partners that impact '26, '27, in some cases '28 and beyond," he said. "So, we feel real good about our positioning going into next year."

The executive also cited the global exposure generated by the event, calling it a demonstration of UFC's ability to execute large-scale productions and the strength of the company's brand.

Dana White: 'We'll never do this again'

The financial realities weren't lost on UFC CEO Dana White.

Speaking after the event, White praised the production and atmosphere, describing it as a flawless night.

"You couldn't have had a better night," White said.

Still, he made clear that fans shouldn't expect a repeat performance.

"I can't afford it," White said. "... we'll never do this again."

What was Freedom 250?

Freedom 250 is an initiative championed by Trump to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday through a series of high-profile events that led up to the 2026 anniversary.

The June 14 UFC event brought together Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, UFC executives including White, major business figures such as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, Cabinet officials and members of the military.

Military aircraft conducted a flyover during the national anthem, and fireworks capped the evening on the White House grounds.

Freedom 250 has also been involved in events including the Great American State Fair and is expected to host the upcoming IndyCar Grand Prix and Patriot Games.

The organization operates separately from America 250, the bipartisan commission created by Congress to coordinate the nation's semiquincentennial celebrations.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFC lost $30 million on Trump White House fight

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