By Connor Hart
TKO Group raised its full-year outlook, boosted by recent acquisitions, as it swung to a profit and notched higher revenue during the first quarter.
The company, formed by the combination of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment, said Thursday it now expects full-year revenue of $4.49 billion to $4.56 billion with those acquisitions factored in, compared with the $4.59 billion that analysts polled by FactSet expected.
It additionally guided for adjusted Ebitda--or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization--of $1.49 billion to $1.53 billion while factoring in the acquisitions, compared with analysts' outlook for $1.4 billion.
TKO Group had most recently guided for revenue of $2.93 billion to $3 billion, and adjusted Ebitda of $1.35 billion to $1.39 billion. The new outlooks factor in TKO Group's acquisition of IMG, On Location and Professional Bull Riders from Endeavor Group, which was completed earlier this year.
Excluding the recent acquisition, TKO Group raised its revenue outlook to between $3.01 billion and $3.08 billion, and its adjusted Ebitda outlook to between $1.39 billion and $1.43 billion.
The new forecasts came as TKO Group swung to a profit and posted higher-than-expected revenue in the recent quarter.
The company posted a profit of $58.4 million in the March quarter, compared with a loss of $103.9 million a year earlier.
Quarterly earnings came in at 69 cents a share, topping the 61 cents a share that analysts polled by FactSet expected.
Revenue rose 3.8%, to $1.27 billion. Analysts modeled sales of $730.2 million.
UFC revenue rose to $359.7 million from $313 million a year ago. The company attributed the gain in part to an increase in live events and hospitality sales, as well as higher partnerships and marketing revenue.
WWE revenue increased to $391.5 million from $316.7 million, primarily related to an increase in media rights, production and content revenue, the company said.
Write to Connor Hart at connor.hart@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 08, 2025 16:54 ET (20:54 GMT)
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