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TKO Group Holdings, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 26% to $1.597 billion: The increase was led by IMG, up $179.1 million, with WWE up $84.2 million and UFC up $41.5 million, all against the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 32%: Adjusted EBITDA reached $549.8 million, with margin at 34% against 33%; the increase came from UFC, WWE and IMG. Source
  • Free cash flow reached $674.5 million: Free cash flow was $674.5 million against $135.5 million, which the company tied to higher operating cash flow and lower capital expenditures; conversion was 123%. Source
  • IMG revenue rose on Olympics hospitality: IMG revenue rose 38% to $655.4 million, mainly from On Location hospitality for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics; IMG Adjusted EBITDA was $97.3 million at a 15% margin. Source
  • Two fewer Fight Night events: UFC held two fewer Fight Night events than a year earlier, which partly offset higher media rights fees. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose to $694.5 million: Operating cash flow was $694.5 million, helped by operating performance and the timing of working capital. Source
  • Shareholder returns of about $1.0 billion: Shareholder returns in the quarter totaled about $1.0 billion through repurchases, dividends and related distributions. Source

“TKO is off to a formidable start in 2026, with strong results and continued momentum across each of our businesses,”

Ariel Emanuel, Executive Chair and CEO of TKO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$5.675 billion to $5.775 billionKept
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$2.240 billion to $2.290 billionKept
Share repurchases SourceNot statedup to an additional $1.0 billionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New: A 10b5-1 trading plan for up to $200 million of Class A repurchases was entered into, to start once the ASR completes. Source
  • Ended: The September 2025 10b5-1 plan, under which shares were bought through February 2026, expired on February 26, 2026. Source
  • New: UFC media rights revenue reflected a new distribution agreement with Paramount, which began in January 2026. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 26% to $1.597 billion: The increase was led by IMG, up $179.1 million, with WWE up $84.2 million and UFC up $41.5 million, all against the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Net income rose to $249.8 million: Net income was $249.8 million against $165.5 million a year earlier, with higher revenue partly offset by higher operating expenses. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 32%: Adjusted EBITDA reached $549.8 million, with margin at 34% against 33%; the increase came from UFC, WWE and IMG. Source
  • Free cash flow reached $674.5 million: Free cash flow was $674.5 million against $135.5 million, which the company tied to higher operating cash flow and lower capital expenditures; conversion was 123%. Source

Segments and revenue mix

  • UFC revenue up 12%: UFC revenue rose 12% to $401.2 million, mainly on media rights, production and content; Adjusted EBITDA reached $254.5 million at a 63% margin. Source
  • WWE live events lifted revenue: WWE revenue rose 22% to $475.7 million, with live events and hospitality up $47.2 million; Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 54%. Source
  • IMG revenue rose on Olympics hospitality: IMG revenue rose 38% to $655.4 million, mainly from On Location hospitality for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics; IMG Adjusted EBITDA was $97.3 million at a 15% margin. Source
  • Corporate loss narrowed: Corporate and Other Adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed to $58.1 million from $77.4 million, reflecting revenue growth and $21.7 million less Endeavor cost allocation. Source

“Our media rights portfolio is firmly in place, our financial incentive packages continue to scale, and demand for our premium live events and experiences is healthy,”

Mark Shapiro, President and COO of TKO

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Operating costs rose on IMG events: Direct operating costs rose $166.8 million and SG&A rose $16.9 million, mainly IMG expenses for the Milano Cortina Olympics. Source
  • Depreciation and amortization rose $43.3 million: Depreciation and amortization rose $43.3 million to $143.8 million in the quarter. Source
  • UFC costs rose on UFC 324: UFC direct costs rose for athletes, production and event costs, mainly for UFC 324. Source
  • WWE talent and production costs rose: WWE direct operating costs rose on talent and production, mostly for Royal Rumble; SG&A rose on travel for more international events. Source
  • Corporate personnel costs rose: Higher personnel and other operating costs at Corporate and Other partly offset the improvement in that segment's loss. Source

Demand and the order book

  • World Cup prepayments held in escrow: Net pre-payments held in escrow for FIFA World Cup 26 were about $582.4 million in the quarter, against about $100.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Two fewer Fight Night events: UFC held two fewer Fight Night events than a year earlier, which partly offset higher media rights fees. Source
  • UFC partnership fees rose: UFC partnerships and marketing revenue rose $2.8 million on new partners and higher renewal fees. Source
  • UFC live events and hospitality fell: UFC live events and hospitality revenue fell $10.1 million, partly offset by higher ticket sales. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Operating cash flow rose to $694.5 million: Operating cash flow was $694.5 million, helped by operating performance and the timing of working capital. Source
  • Gross debt rose to $4.671 billion: Gross debt was $4.671 billion, up from $3.783 billion at December 31, 2025; cash and cash equivalents were $788.9 million. Source
  • $800 million accelerated repurchase paid: The company paid $800 million under the ASR agreement and received about 3.1 million initial shares. Source
  • Quarterly dividend of about $150 million: A quarterly dividend of about $150 million, or $0.78 per share, was paid on March 31, 2026, from distributions by TKO Operating Company, LLC. Source
  • Shareholder returns of about $1.0 billion: Shareholder returns in the quarter totaled about $1.0 billion through repurchases, dividends and related distributions. Source

Strategy, boxing and events

  • Corporate and Other revenue rose 36%: Corporate and Other revenue rose 36% to $73.9 million, on PBR media rights and partnership revenue and boxing management fees. Source
  • Three-segment reporting structure: Reporting runs through three segments, UFC, WWE and IMG; PBR, boxing fees and general costs sit in Corporate and Other. Source
  • UFC Freedom 250 and World Cup this summer: Management said UFC Freedom 250 at the White House and On Location's FIFA World Cup partnership will take center stage this summer. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 May 2026

  • ASR completion expected in Q2: Transactions under the ASR agreement are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026. Source
  • Repurchases start after ASR completes: Repurchases under the $200 million 10b5-1 plan are to commence immediately once the ASR transactions are completed. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
UFC Fight Night events vs prior-year quarter Sourcetwo fewer
Household reach Sourcemore than 1 billion households across 210 countries and territories

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Legal costs of $23.2 million were recorded in the quarter, related to UFC antitrust lawsuits and WWE and Endeavor stockholder litigation, net of insurance recoveries. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management refers to the ASR agreement as previously disclosed; the February release had said repurchases would launch in March 2026. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.