With its seventh event lined up for early June, Dana White and his Zuffa Boxing have built momentum that is becoming impossible to ignore in just five months of opening their doors. And according to TKO executives, the promotion is already turning profits.
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“Zuffa Boxing is already profitable,” Mark Shapiro, President and COO of TKO Group Holdings, confirmed at the J.P. Morgan TMC Conference in Boston.
Speaking about the Dana White-led promotion, Shapiro reportedly pointed to major media partnerships with Paramount+ and Sky as signs of strong growth. With more than 100 fighters already signed, he highlighted that Zuffa is planning around 16-17 events, while their Saudi partners are eager to expand the schedule even further.
Shapiro also added that TKO Group Holdings is close to increasing its ownership stake in the venture as business targets continue to be met.
That optimism also aligns with the aggressive expansion plans surrounding sister promotion UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), following the record-breaking $7.7 billion Paramount deal.
“And I will tell you, I’m really excited. I should say we’re really excited by what is ahead,” Shapiro said. “And that is when they close, when and if they close their Warner Brothers deal, which, oh, at this point, everything looks thumbs up.”
“And I think it should happen, by the way. We’re going to benefit from that. We have an opportunity to have UFC and Zuffa Boxing not just on the Paramount Networks, as you know them now, but (also on) TNT, which is known as a sports network; CBS, which is known as a sports network; and HBO, which has historically been a big boxing network.”
Shapiro further noted that platforms like Bleacher Report and the companies’ YouTube partnerships could significantly expand the reach and promotion of UFC and Zuffa Boxing content.
Dana White and Zuffa stay on the front foot
Shapiro’s latest comments echo the optimism he expressed alongside Ari Emanuel, Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings, during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show earlier in February, shortly after Zuffa staged its first-ever event, Zuffa Boxing 01, under the Paramount-Skydance partnership.
“Boxing is a big opportunity for us, right?” Shapiro said. “We’ve got Dana White and Nick Khan driving this. There’s a lot of history of fights that should have happened that didn’t happen—corruption, pay-per-view, closed circuit… So if we can make a UFC of boxing—think about it, really a closed league. We’re signing 200 fighters right now, consistent fights.
“We’re already on Paramount Plus, and we’re about to announce some international deals. This could become the next behemoth for us.”
Emphasizing Zuffa Boxing’s growth potential, Shapiro noted that UFC and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) are currently worth around $20 billion each and suggested boxing could eventually become a multi-billion-dollar property as well.
While he admitted it would take time, the TKO executive stressed that the upside surrounding Zuffa Boxing remains enormous.
Beyond the financial projections, one only has to look at the way Zuffa has aggressively pursued some of boxing’s biggest names to understand the scale of its ambitions.
After all, how else could they reportedly make a $15 million deal with Conor Benn, who is not even a world champion?
Adding to that, rumors surrounding titleholders Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney potentially being considered for Zuffa roles have also circulated for some time.
Dana White himself stated that he thinks everyone is “going to be at Zuffa Boxing eventually.” Given that level of confidence, it becomes easier to believe the promotion has the financial backing necessary to support its long-term plans.
Those ambitions alone would mean little if Zuffa failed to properly deliver on its existing events. So, judging by the promotion’s early momentum and growing expansion plans, the claim that Zuffa Boxing is already turning profits no longer seems far-fetched.
