UFC President Dana White has said that the organisation has a current market value of $7 billion.
The promotion was purchased in July 2016 for $4.2 billion by a group led by WME–IMG, now Endeavor, in a landmark deal for the UFC and former owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta.
In May 2018, the company then agreed to a new media rights deals with Disney and ESPN in a deal that will see the broadcaster commit $1.5 billion over the next five years to televise and stream the sport.
The deal consists of 30 UFC Fight Night events per year, including 10 main cards on ESPN’s television networks. The other 20 will stream on ESPN+, the company’s newly launched streaming service.
White sat down with philanthropist Tony Robbins recently to discuss his rise in business and valued the company at $7 billion.
“I made all this money but Ari [Emmanuel – co-CEO of William Morris Endeavor] gave me my ownership [nine per cent stake] and we just did a deal with ESPN for $1.5 billion for five years and now the company is worth $7 billion,” said White.
The UFC boss added that his decision to stay on as the company’s president was not financially motivated and that he ultimately wanted to stay for the fulfillment of the job.
“Everyone is telling me ‘oh my god you made $360 million, you made this, you made that…. I already had money. I had bought a lot of stuff that I had always wanted.
“You get bored. I know when you hear somebody say that you go ‘oh I won’t get bored’ but you get bored. You just get bored of buying stuff. You already have everything.
“At the end of the day it’s really about that you love what you’re doing and it’s about the journey. The people you’re doing it with, that you’re having fun. You’re getting up everyday and you’re all working towards the same goal, whatever it might be, it’s a very fulfilling feeling. It really is.”
