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TKO Group Holdings, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 3 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 18% to $1.547 billion: Revenue increased 18%, or $238.7 million, to $1.547 billion, with increases at UFC, WWE and IMG. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 23%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 23% to $649.9 million, and the Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 42% from 40%, with UFC, WWE and IMG all contributing. Source
  • UFC margin fell on Freedom 250: UFC Adjusted EBITDA margin fell to 52% from 59%, which management attributed entirely to the financial profile of the UFC Freedom 250 event. Source
  • IMG revenue rose on World Cup hospitality: IMG revenue rose 16% to $354.7 million, and Adjusted EBITDA rose 171% to $78.6 million, lifting the margin to 22% from 9%. Source
  • SG&A rose on WWE stockholder litigation: Selling, general and administrative expenses rose mainly on legal fees and settlement costs for WWE-related stockholder litigation. Source
  • World Cup escrow prepayments declined: Working capital included $22.4 million of World Cup 2026 prepayments held in escrow, against $164.8 million a year earlier. Source
  • Year-to-date returns exceed $1.3 billion: Year to date, the company has returned more than $1.3 billion to equity holders through share repurchases, dividends and related distributions. Source

“Premium live content and experiences are heating up in an increasingly AI-driven world, and our businesses are well positioned to fully capitalize on societal secular tailwinds.”

Ariel Emanuel, Executive Chair and CEO of TKO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefull year 2026$5.775 billion to $5.825 billionRaised from $5.675 billion to $5.775 billion
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$2.275 billion to $2.305 billionRaised from $2.240 billion to $2.290 billion

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA targets were raised, based on first-half performance and visibility into the rest of the year. Source
  • New: Management said it intends to commence additional repurchases of Class A common stock under the existing share repurchase program. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 18% to $1.547 billion: Revenue increased 18%, or $238.7 million, to $1.547 billion, with increases at UFC, WWE and IMG. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 23%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 23% to $649.9 million, and the Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 42% from 40%, with UFC, WWE and IMG all contributing. Source
  • Net income rose on higher revenue: Net income was $303.9 million, up $30.8 million from the prior-year period, as higher revenue was partly offset by higher operating expenses. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose to $1.34: Diluted net earnings per share of Class A common stock were $1.34 for the quarter, against $1.17 a year earlier. Source

Segments and regions

  • UFC revenue rose 29%: UFC revenue rose 29% to $535.7 million, led by media rights, partnerships and marketing, and consumer products. Source
  • UFC margin fell on Freedom 250: UFC Adjusted EBITDA margin fell to 52% from 59%, which management attributed entirely to the financial profile of the UFC Freedom 250 event. Source
  • WWE revenue rose 12%: WWE revenue rose 12% to $620.9 million, driven by higher media rights fees from the ESPN agreement; WWE Adjusted EBITDA rose to $368.3 million with a 59% margin in both periods. Source
  • IMG revenue rose on World Cup hospitality: IMG revenue rose 16% to $354.7 million, and Adjusted EBITDA rose 171% to $78.6 million, lifting the margin to 22% from 9%. Source
  • Italian cycling contract loss cut IMG media revenue: IMG media rights, production and content revenue fell $16.2 million, mainly because a cycling contract in Italy ended, partly offset by Stars on Ice and Sport 24 growth. Source
  • Corporate loss held near prior year: Corporate and Other Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $77.4 million, against a loss of $77.1 million a year earlier, as higher personnel costs offset higher revenue. Source

“Our decision to raise full-year guidance reflects both our performance to date and our confidence in TKO’s multi-year trajectory”

Mark Shapiro, President and COO of TKO

Products, customers and demand

  • Media rights fees rose on Paramount deal: UFC media rights, production and content revenue rose on higher fees under the Paramount distribution agreement, which began in January 2026. Source
  • UFC partnerships rose on Freedom 250: UFC partnerships and marketing revenue rose $59.0 million on new partners and renewal fees, largely driven by the White House event in June. Source
  • WWE ticket sales fell on WrestleMania: WWE live events and hospitality revenue fell $33.7 million, almost entirely from ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. Source
  • UFC incentive packages partly offset ticket decline: UFC live events revenue included higher financial incentive package revenue, which partly offset lower ticket sales compared with the prior year. Source
  • WWE consumer products sales grew: WWE consumer products licensing and other revenue rose $12.7 million, mainly from sales of WWE-branded trading cards and other collectibles. Source
  • Stars on Ice and Sport 24 grew: Demand rose for Stars on Ice, the touring figure skating show, and Sport 24, the live sports channel for airlines and cruise ships. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Operating expenses rose on legal fees: Operating expenses rose on a $79.7 million increase in direct operating costs and a $98.4 million increase in selling, general and administrative expenses. Source
  • SG&A rose on WWE stockholder litigation: Selling, general and administrative expenses rose mainly on legal fees and settlement costs for WWE-related stockholder litigation. Source
  • Certain legal costs reached $71.1 million: Certain legal costs were $71.1 million, including an estimated $30.0 million loss net of probable insurance recoveries. Source
  • IMG direct costs fell after cycling exit: IMG direct operating costs decreased after the Italian professional cycling contract ended, while SG&A rose on World Cup 2026 costs. Source

“From UFC Freedom 250 to the FIFA World Cup, TKO continues to deliver on the biggest stages and this quarter reinforced our 2026 execution story.”

Mark Shapiro, President and COO of TKO

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Operating cash flow dipped on timing: Operating cash flow was $374.0 million, down $22.2 million, mainly because of the timing of working capital. Source
  • Free cash flow declined $25.3 million: Free cash flow was $349.6 million, down $25.3 million, reflecting lower operating cash flow and higher capital expenditures. Source
  • World Cup escrow prepayments declined: Working capital included $22.4 million of World Cup 2026 prepayments held in escrow, against $164.8 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and gross debt at quarter end: Cash and cash equivalents were $592.5 million, and gross debt was $4.659 billion at June 30, 2026, down from $4.671 billion at March 31, 2026. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Year-to-date returns exceed $1.3 billion: Year to date, the company has returned more than $1.3 billion to equity holders through share repurchases, dividends and related distributions. Source
  • Q2 buybacks totaled $129.3 million: The company repurchased 648,919 shares in the second quarter for about $129.3 million. Source
  • Board authorization totals $3 billion: The board had authorized repurchases of up to $3 billion of Class A common stock, as previously disclosed. Source
  • About $1 billion of authorization remains: Slightly more than $1 billion remained available under the existing authorization as of August 3, 2026. Source
  • Quarterly dividend $0.79 per share: The June 30, 2026 dividend totaled about $150 million, or $0.79 per share, up from $0.78 per share paid in the first quarter. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Boxing management fees rose: Corporate and Other revenue rose 9%, mainly from higher management fees for services tied to the company’s boxing initiatives. Source
  • Monetization across ticketing and hospitality: Management said it is capitalizing on commercial returns across ticketing, premium hospitality, marketing partnerships and financial incentive packages. Source
  • Multi-year growth and margin expansion cited: Management said the experience economy demand positions the company for multi-year growth, margin expansion and value creation. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
PBR events held versus prior-year period Sourceten fewer events
UFC Numbered Events versus prior-year period Sourceone fewer
Live events organized year-round Sourcemore than 500

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Legal costs cover antitrust lawsuits for UFC and stockholder litigation for WWE and Endeavor, net of insurance recoveries. Source
  • Operational: Management tied higher UFC direct operating costs to athlete, production and event costs for the Freedom 250 event. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The February guidance was raised this quarter; the release does not describe it as ahead of or behind plan. Source
  • Met: The first-quarter release expected the accelerated repurchase to finish in the second quarter; the second-quarter release reports completion on June 30, 2026.
  • Met: The 10b5-1 plan was described as starting once the ASR finished; the second-quarter release reports the plan was completed through July 21, 2026.

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.