In recent history, MMA enthusiasts have loved the prospect of a numbered card PPV at The Sphere. The $2.3 billion marvel in Las Vegas has attracted various sports as well as entertainment companies. But to see an MMA fight within the LED-paneled globular planetarium is a dream. However, said dream might be a one-time gig for the UFC.
Much of the future of UFC in 2024 — and next depends on the upcoming broadcast rights deal. Under the watchful eye of the GEA Chairman Turki Alalshikh, UFC will host its first Fight Night event in Saudi Arabia. A new report suggests Alalshikh will also sponsor UFC 306 in the Sphere. It led many to believe that UFC would make it an annual thing. However, Mark Shapiro of the TKO Group Holdings said otherwise.
The Sphere in September, UFC 306, although that will be an expensive event to put on, for the record…That’s not a normal event. The Sphere is the Sphere, and it wasn’t necessarily built for UFC events. We will do it one and done. That is what Dana White has told us and he’s going to make it extra special.
Mark Shapiro via the TKO Group Financial call press statement
The cost of putting an event at The Sphere will impact any future event in the $2.3 billion marvel. Earlier, Joe Rogan alluded that Dana White had spent more money on it to make it a generational event. As such, TKO Group Holdings wants to focus on providing the best entertainment with a motive of profit. The Q1 financials of the UFC might suggest why they want ‘The Sphere’ event to be ‘one and done.’
Mark Shapiro on the TKO Q1 earnings call says that the UFC is not looking to leave ESPN and that they will talk during the exclusive negotiation window, but that they will do what is in their best interests.
Shapiro touts ESPN as the go-to sports entity for sports in the U.S.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 8, 2024
Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter), MMA journo for Sportsnet, reposted the intricate details on X. TKO Group Holdings suffered a Q1 net loss of $249.5 million, largely due to the UFC antitrust settlement. It bailed Dana White & Co. out with $335 million in settlement to save face from anti-competitive conduct charges. While Shapiro recognizes UFC’s potential as the premier promotion, he advocates control.
The Las Vegas Sphere dream ends; X marks the spot for UFC, APEX doesn’t
Geography has been a long-standing pointer in selling pay-per-view events for UFC. Sometimes, it works in favor, sometimes against. Head honcho Dana White’s dream of hosting events at the wraparound LED screens of the Las Vegas Sphere turns out to be a one-time thing. In recent times, many fighters have expressed their interest in the spot: Sean O’Malley, Ilia Topuria, Diego Lopes, Merab Dvalishvili, Alexa Grasso, and many others.
Despite carrying a low-cost structure, UFC APEX isn’t quite the golden goose, unlike ESPN MMA (Source: Instagram/X)While UFC lands at Sphere in Las Vegas for the first and only time ever in September, other local grinds may be taken to the road. TKO Chief Financial Officer Andrew Schleimer indicated an interest in selling out arenas on the road for the ever-growing fanbase.
I think what you’ve seen since we have worked our way out of COVID, we have held a significant amount of events outside UFC APEX, and those that we do hold on our campus in Las Vegas…those numbers have gone down meaningfully…That being said, bringing events on the road is as much about growing our fan base as it is generating income.
Andrew Schleimer via the TKO Group Financial call press statement
Schleimer’s point might make it seem highly unlikely that UFC APEX would be opted or phased out, but Shapiro said differently. Mark Shapiro also commented on it and talked about the site fees that impacts any live events.
Shapiro says that site fees are becoming the norm and that they will be looking for them for any live events that they bring to specific cities. Shapiro says that many cities are putting forth site fees to line up multiple events.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 8, 2024
UFC bounced back quickly during the global pandemic by committing to events without large crowds. UFC APEX thus became the local go-to spot in the process. UFC has received criticism for holding more events at the APEX than any other place.
However, Shapiro adds that UFC will always connect more by taking the show to the road, even if UFC APEX remains a necessary evil for now. This isn’t unlike what many locales and fanbases at other prime spots ask for to have a featured event in their space.
