UFC Sold for $4B to WME-IMG Group

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Mixed martial arts organization Ultimate Fighting Championship has been bought by a group led by talent agency WME-IMG for $4 billion.

The UFC made a seven-year broadcast rights deal with Fox Sports in 2011 that paid $100 million a year and raised the league’s profile. Fox Sports aired matches on the Fox broadcast network and its FX and FS1 cable networks. It also aired a reality show about UFC fighters.

“As far as the business goes, our goal was to always take this sport to the next level, and Ari and WME-IMG are the guys to take it from here,” UFC president Dana White told the Los Angeles Times Sunday.

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White will continue to serve as president, owner and promoter for UFC. He sold his ownership in UFC and bought a stake in WME-IMG, according to reports.

The UFC’s other owners, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta will retain a small passive ownership role.

On Saturday, the UFC held UFC 200 in Las Vegas and generated live ticket sales of $10.8 million and what are expected to be record pay-per-view revenues.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.