UFC's parent company, TKO Group, has revealed that its "UFC Freedom 250" event, staged on the White House grounds on 14 June to mark Donald Trump's 80th birthday, lost approximately $30 million despite being hailed as a "roaring success" by executive chairman and CEO Ari Emanuel. The disclosure came during TKO's second-quarter 2026 earnings call, where CFO Andrew Schleimer said the event carried significantly higher-than-normal costs and generated no ticket revenue, though these were partly offset by fully sold global sponsorship inventory.

The seven-bout card was notable for being the first in UFC history in which every fight ended by knockout or technical knockout, and it drew an average of 8.2 million viewers across the US and Latin America on Paramount+, the platform's biggest live exclusive event to date, under a seven-year, $7.7 billion rights deal signed last year. Despite the loss, TKO — which also owns WWE — beat analyst expectations overall, raising its full-year 2026 revenue guidance by $75 million and its adjusted EBITDA guidance by $25 million, with Schleimer noting the White House event helped forge business contacts and sponsorship deals extending into 2028.