TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro has confirmed that the UFC’s planned White House event for America’s 250th anniversary will not be profitable, at least not in the traditional sense.
Speaking during TKO’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, Shapiro laid out the financial realities behind what is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious events in UFC history. While the card is expected to feature “all-star” caliber bouts, it will also come with a staggering price tag.
Shapiro stated: “Our 7-year agreement for UFC with Paramount ushers in a new era, making UFC’s 43 annual events available to all Paramount Plus subscribers in the US. Our goal was to grow our fan base by making UFC content more accessible and by removing the double pay wall which previously existed with ESPN Plus. That strategy is playing out as intended.”
He continued: “UFC 324’s debut on Paramount Plus drew nearly 5 million online views and became the largest exclusive live event in Paramount Plus history with the broadest reach for a UFC event in nearly a decade.”
When discussing the June 14 event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, Shapiro explained: “To be clear, we see this once in a lifetime stage as a strategic investment to drive subscriber acquisition at Paramount Plus, massive audience sampling for the UFC overall, and Super Bowl like earned media across the globe. The event will cost us upwards of 60 million. However, we are working to secure sellable inventory in and around the weekend of events that should cover approximately half that cost.”
Later, when pressed for clarification about the event’s return on investment, Shapiro elaborated: “Look, at the moment, the UFC event at the White House is slated to cost upwards of $60 million. I think by the time we get done, all is said and done with the event and the what we pay the fighters and the fanfest we’re going to have, that could move north. Bottom line is it’s still a moving target.”
Even with aggressive corporate partnerships and sponsorship packages in place, TKO expects to offset only about half of that expense. Shapiro stated: “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 goes up or rides up on us, we believe we can offset half of the spend. Today we see it as 60 offsetting 30.”
That means the UFC is effectively preparing to absorb an estimated $30 million loss. And Shapiro made it clear this is intentional.
He continued: “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. This is an investment for the long term. This is about earned media. This is about sampling new fans, casual viewers, a spectacle, a stage that will ultimately expand our audience, our viewership, and our success on Paramount Plus.”
