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It is no secret that 2019 has been the biggest year in the history of the UFC in terms of the revenue the promotion generated in the past twelve months. UFC president Dana White recently took to Twitter to thank the fans and the entire UFC staff and roster for making 2019 the biggest year in the promotion since its inception back in 1993.
"2019 was the biggest year in the company's history. I wanna thank all the fighters, the fans, the media and my staff at @ufc. I can't wait for 2020! Happy holidays everyone!"
Bloody Elbow’s business analyst John Nash explained the rise in revenue of the promotion in 2019. Per Nash, the UFC didn't do too well this year but the promotion's new deal with ESPN and new international TV and sponsorship deals saw 'hundreds of millions' added to its revenue, leading them to break their previous record of revenue generated in a year.
“According to the various projections made by the company back in 2016, the total revenue in 2019 would be anywhere from $980 million to $1.1 billion and their EBITDA margins would be 50 percent. While I do not think they did that well, the new ESPN deal had added hundreds of millions to their guaranteed contractual revenue. Add in new international TV deals and increased sponsorship revenue and it’s hard to see how they don’t break the record. At least $800 million in revenue seems almost guaranteed.”
Although the promotion has been making massive bucks, fact remains that its employees - the fighters remain relatively underpaid when compared to other sports such as boxing, NFL, Baseball to name a few. Here's hoping that along with a change in the fortunes of the promotion, 2020 will also bring a change in fortune for its most priceless possession - the warriors.
