With the UFC’s parent company, Endeavor Group Holdings, releasing its fourth quarter and full year financial summary for 2021, highlighted by a total revenue of US$5.1 billion, the UFC has recorded its best financial year to date.

Among the major highlights of the financial results beyond the total revenue was a net loss of US$467.5 million for Endeavor, with overall adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of US$880.3 million.

The sports focus for Endeavor saw its owned sports properties, including the UFC, along with the EuroLeague basketball competition and the Professional Bull Riders, draw in a revenue of US$1.1 billion for 2021, up 16% on 2020 figures, including US$277.3 million for Q4.

The organisation said these increases across the broad scope of the company, but specifically its sports properties, was a result of increased media rights fees, new sponsorship deals, and event revenue increasing with the return of fans to in-person events.

Discussing the financial results, Endeavor CEO, Ariel Emanuel, said: “In our first year as a public company, we saw significant outperformance across our portfolio as the world began to emerge from the pandemic, with increased attendance at live events and continued heightened demand for premium content.”

“Given the unique position we occupy in the content landscape, we remain confident about our ability to continue leveraging trends, unlocking growth, and delivering long-term value,” Emanuel said.

The events, experiences and rights segment of Endeavor’s business operation was US$2 billion for the year, an increase of 28% on the prior year, which the organisation attributed to the increase in media rights fees, the return of live events, IMG Academy summer camps operating at full capacity, and the acquisition of NCSA (Next College Student Athlete).

The final split of the 2021 revenue comes from the representation segment, which drew US$2 billion in revenue, and increase of US$1 billion on the organisation’s 2020 figures, which was credited to an increase in content deliveries at Endeavor Content and the easing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these areas.

Endeavor provided an outlook for 2022, which predicted revenue will be between US$5.2 billion and US$5.45 billion for the year.