Las Vegas Sphere Hosts UFC’s Highest-Grossing Event, Tops $20 Million in Revenue
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) took over the highly-acclaimed Las Vegas Sphere over the weekend, marking the UFC’s highest-grossing event to-date.
UFC 306, also dubbed Riyadh Season Noche UFC, took place on September 14, generating $22 million by selling-out 16,000 tickets. The event shattered the previous gate record of $17.7 million, set in 2016 for UFC 207. Additionally, Noche UFC broke the company record for merchandise sold, White noted.
The gate sales will cover the $20 million the UFC spent to hold the show at the Sphere; over the past year, the venue has worked with the UFC to bring the event to fruition. The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, announced a partnership with Ridyah Season and the UFC in May to sponsor the event. UFC president Dana Whited promised “the greatest live combat sports show anybody has ever seen.”
The record-breaking event also marked the first live sporting event at the $2.3 billion venue. The Sphere, which opened last year, includes a wraparound interior LED screen with 170,000 ultra-directional speakers. The floor-to-ceiling screens offer moving visuals and mind-bending graphics, creating an experience like no other.
While White had described the event as “once-in-a-lifetime,” the question remains if other sports leagues might try to replicate the spectacle.
“It’ll take the NBA or one of these companies with a ton of money [to do it],” White told ESPN. “But we showed everybody tonight what’s possible. You can do more than concerts here. So, who’s next?”
