TKO issued the following press release announcing the third quarter earnings for 2023.
TKO revealed that UFC and WWE together pulled in $449.1 million dollars in revenue, with a net income of $22 million. The UFC alone pulled in $397.5 million of the total revenue. WWE touted its incredible numbers just from the summer leading into September. Full details can be found below.
TKO Transaction Highlights
-On September 12, 2023, Endeavor and WWE closed the transaction to combine UFC and WWE to form a new, publicly listed company, TKO Group Holdings, Inc.
-On September 13, 2023, the Company declared a special one-time cash dividend of $3.86 per share of Class A common stock, which was paid on September 29, 2023
Third Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights
Revenue of $449.1 million
Net income of $22.0 million
Adjusted EBITDA1 of $239.7 million
These results cover the period from July 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023 for UFC and the period from September 12, 2023 through September 30, 2023 for WWE
Third Quarter 2023 Operational Highlights and Recent DevelopmentsUFC held 13 events that consistently delivered strong viewership and attendance and set several all-time records for gross revenue at the respective arenas
WWE entering into a five-year domestic media rights agreement with NBCUniversal for SmackDown beginning in October 2024
WrestleMania 40, to be held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in April 2024, sold more than 90,000 tickets in one day when it went on sale, breaking the record for all-time gate set at WrestleMania 39
In October, UFC completed a multi-year sponsorship agreement, UFC’s biggest ever in the aggregate including cash and marketing assets, with AB InBev to become the exclusive “Official Global Beer Partner of UFC” effective January 1, 2024
In October, UFC agreed to an expansion of its presence in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region with the extension of its partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to continue to host numbered events through 2028 and an agreement to bring up to 3 Fight Nights to the region annually, including its first event in Saudi Arabia in March 2024
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2023. The reported results presented in this earnings release cover the period from July 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023 for Ultimate Fighting Championship (“UFC”) and the period from September 12, 2023 through September 30, 2023 for World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (“WWE”).“Since launching TKO on September 12th, our teams at WWE, UFC, and Endeavor have been focused on integration and executing our strategy,” said Ariel Emanuel, CEO of TKO. “This includes identifying cost synergies at the high end of the range we guided, bringing events to new international markets including Saudi Arabia and Australia, delivering media rights increases for WWE, and closing the largest global partnership deal ever for UFC with AB InBev. We remain bullish about TKO’s ability to accelerate growth and unlock long-term value for shareholders.”
Third-Quarter Consolidated Results
Revenue increased 32%, or $108.4 million, to $449.1 million, due to an increase of $56.8 million at UFC and the contribution of $51.6 million of revenue at WWE associated with the period from September 12, 2023 through September 30, 2023.
UFC’s revenue was $397.5 million. WWE’s revenue for the period from September 12, 2023 through September 30, 2023 was $51.6 million. WWE’s combined revenue for the period from July 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023 was $287.3 million.
Net Income was $22.0 million, a decrease from $129.7 million, primarily reflecting the increase in revenue offset by an increase in operating expenses. The increase in operating expenses primarily reflected an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses of $136.7 million, including professional fees and bonuses related to the TKO transaction and charges associated with restructuring activities. To a lesser extent, higher interest expense and depreciation and amortization also contributed to the decrease in net income.
Adjusted EBITDA1 increased 26%, or $49.2 million, to $239.7 million, due to an increase of $33.8 million at UFC and the contribution of $22.0 million of Adjusted EBITDA at WWE associated with the period from September 12, 2023 through September 30, 2023 partially offset by an increase of $6.6 million in corporate expenses.
UFC’s Adjusted EBITDA was $238.3 million. WWE’s Adjusted EBITDA for the period from September 12, 2023 through September 30, 2023 was $22.0 million. WWE’s combined Adjusted EBITDA for the period from July 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023 was $102.0 million. Corporate Adjusted EBITDA for the period from September 12, 2023 through September 30, 2023 was ($20.6) million. Corporate combined Adjusted EBITDA for the period from July 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023 was ($42.1) million.
Cash flows generated by operating activities were $67.0 million, a decrease of $71.3 million from $138.3 million, primarily due to lower net income.
Free Cash Flow2 was $63.6 million, a decrease of $72.5 million from $136.1 million, primarily due to the decrease in cash flows generated by operating activities.
Cash and cash equivalents were $188.6 million as of September 30, 2023. Gross debt was $2.773 billion as of September 30, 2023.
