UFC set to spend $60m on historic White House event marking US anniversary
The UFC will spend around $60m (£44.3m) on a unique event at the White House to mark 250 years of American independence, according to TKO Group Holdings chief Mark Shapiro.
The mixed martial arts promotion is scheduled to host the unprecedented show on 14 June as part of the celebrations for the United States’ semiquincentennial.
Plans for the spectacle were first announced by US President Donald Trump last year and have since been ratified by the organisation’s parent company.
‘Investment for the long term’
Despite the significant expenditure, the event is not designed to generate immediate profit for the sports entertainment giant.
Shapiro, TKO president and chief operating officer, described the venture as an exercise in “earned media” rather than a traditional revenue driver.
The company is currently collaborating with corporate partners with the aim of offsetting approximately $30m (£22.2m) of the total outlay.
“I want to be clear about something: we will not profit from the White House event independently. We will not be making money on America’s 250th anniversary.”
Mark Shapiro, TKO Group Holdings chief
Shapiro admitted the budget remains a “moving target” but insisted the organisation is confident of covering half the spend through sponsorship.
A monumental setting
While the full schedule remains under wraps, UFC president Dana White has outlined the logistical scale of hosting fights at the executive mansion.
Approximately 5,000 spectators are expected to be seated on the White House South Lawn for the historic card.
A further 80,000 fans are set to watch via screens at the Ellipse, a park located just south of the presidential residence in Washington DC.
Star-studded potential
President Trump, a close ally of White, has previously promised the event will feature the “biggest fights they’ve ever had”.
Although no bouts have been officially confirmed, several high-profile names have linked themselves to the card.
Former two-weight champion Conor McGregor and current heavyweight king Jon Jones are among those to have expressed interest in competing.
Other potential participants mentioned include light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev.