Business 2 min read By Morgan Griffin
TKO Beats Forecasts as UFC Revenue Surges 60% in Quarter
TKO Group exceeded analyst expectations for the third quarter thanks to UFC revenue growth of about 60 percent, despite a decline at WWE.
TKO Group, the parent company of UFC and WWE, beat Wall Street forecasts for third-quarter profitability, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship competitions as the main driver. UFC revenue rose about 60 percent compared with the same period last year, reaching $519.2 million for the quarter.
The company's total revenue came to $1.36 billion, slightly below the expected $1.38 billion. The reason was a slowdown in WWE's business, which kept overall revenue from reaching the forecast level. Diluted earnings per share were $1.33.
According to reports by Deadline and Variety, published in November 2026, it was the full UFC arenas that lifted quarterly revenue and adjusted profit. Despite overall weakness in certain segments, UFC posted double-digit growth across all key indicators, which allowed TKO to report favorably to investors.
The results underscore how important the mixed martial arts business has become for TKO. When one of the core segments shows growth like this, it can offset weaker results elsewhere, as happened this time with WWE. For investors, this is a signal that the company's strategy of combining entertainment brands in sports and show business is still working, although dependence on individual events and arena sales remains a notable risk factor.
Source: deadline.com
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