Dana White estimates current market value of the UFC is “probably nine or ten” billion

UFC President Dana White claims the UFC is now worth nine or ten billion dollars—a massive increase from the amount the promotion sold for in 2016.

The UFC was sold by Zuffa LLC to WME-IMG in 2016 for a heaping $4 billion. Since then, the promotion has staged a long list of blockbuster events, many of which have sold more than a million pay-per-views. The promotion also signed a lucrative broadcast deal with ESPN, which commenced in 2018, and has many other sources of income.

According to White, that success has resulted in the UFC more than doubling its market value, which he estimates now sits around nine or ten billion dollars.

“Probably nine or ten [billion],” White said during an interview with Aaron Bronsteter of TSN, when asked how much the UFC is worth now.

That figure is likely to draw some skepticism, but as White told Bronsteter, that’s nothing new.

“People have been scoffing at me for 20 years,” White said. “Keep scoffing! I love the scoffing.”

While White and the UFC have enjoyed some major successes since the promotion sold in 2016, this year has allegedly been particularly lucrative for the promotion—despite the challenges of the pandemic.

“During the pandemic, we were up 30 percent on ESPN,” White said, looking back on some of the successes of 2020. “Then as soon as it starts to average out, we’re up 18 to 20 percent this year.

“Our social media growth was massive this year,” he added. “We surpassed 10 million followers on YouTube, earning us Diamond Play status—second only to the NBA among sports organizations worldwide. Our Instagram growth in the US went up 38.17 percent—we’re second only to the NBA again. Second most views on Instagram compared to all other US-based sports—number two to the NBA—and the Joaquin Buckley [viral knockout] was massive. It broke all kinds of records.

“We broke every record we had except for live gate,” White continued. “I mean, consumer products is up 166 percent this year, and the list just goes on and on. We killed it this year. It was an amazing year for us.”

What do you think of these figures from UFC President Dana White?