For decades, boxing was the dominant combat sport as fighters like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Evander Holyfield became household names. In recent years, MMA has caught up to the sweet science with Alex Pereira, Dustin Poirier, and Conor McGregor joining Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as fighters who can headline cards that sell out arenas and get a million pay-per-view buys. Even professional wrestling—long derided as sports entertainment because it is scripted—has grown more formidable over the past decade. The 2019 addition of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) provided World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with its first true rival since WWE purchased World Championship Wrestling in 2001.
Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinteitelbaum/2024/04/18/the-most-valuable-combat-sports-promotions-2024/?sh=31c946d9abde
Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.
Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinteitelbaum/2024/04/18/the-most-valuable-combat-sports-promotions-2024/?sh=31c946d9abde
Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 For decades, boxing was the dominant combat sport as fighters like Muhammad Ali and Mike
00:07 Tyson became household names.
00:09 In recent years, MMA has caught up to the sweet science with Jon Jones and Francis Nganou
00:14 joining boxers like Canelo Alvarez and Terrence Crawford as fighters who can sell out arenas
00:19 and pay-per-views.
00:21 Even professional wrestling, long derided as sports entertainment because it's scripted,
00:26 has grown more formidable over the past decade.
00:28 The most high-profile instance in the battle for supremacy was the merger and subsequent
00:33 IPO of UFC and WWE, first and second on this inaugural combat sports list under the name
00:40 TKO Holdings in September 2023.
00:44 To understand how big each of these companies were separately, consider this.
00:49 UFC holds some 40 events annually, reaching more than 900 million households on television
00:55 across 170+ countries.
00:58 While WWE stages more than 200 live events annually, with televised events reaching at
01:03 least 1 billion people on a weekly basis in more than 180 countries.
01:10 The two brands each had media rights revenue of over $800 million, more than triple the
01:16 total revenue of all the other promotions on the list.
01:20 Here are the top 5 most valuable combat sports promotions for 2024.
01:25 At number 5, Matchroom Boxing.
01:29 Renowned for its stable of big-name fighters and a penchant for delivering unforgettable
01:33 match-ups, Matchroom Boxing stands at the forefront of the sport.
01:37 Stars of the sport like Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor are huge draws for Matchroom,
01:42 with Joshua handily defeating MMA star Frances Ngannou earlier this year.
01:48 Taylor is the current two-weight undisputed world champion and will next fight Amanda
01:53 Serrano on July 20th as the co-main event of the Jake Paul/Mike Tyson card.
01:59 At number 4, One Championship.
02:04 One has a broadcast reach that spans over 190 countries.
02:08 Backed by significant capital raises, One Championship continues to expand its reach
02:13 and impact, solidifying its position as a burgeoning leader in the world of combat sports.
02:19 Top-caliber fighters like Anatoly Malikin and Andrew Lee will be key in helping One
02:24 continue to grow its broadcast reach while the company expands its live events to new
02:28 locations in North America and the Middle East where successful first events have taken
02:33 place over the last several months.
02:36 At number 3, AEW.
02:40 The youngest promotion on the list, AEW, is the premier challenger brand in the professional
02:45 wrestling space.
02:46 It's the first true competition to WWE since the days of WCW in the early 2000s.
02:52 AEW got immediate legitimacy from superstars like Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, and The Young
02:59 Bucks, while a partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling and the purchase of Ring of
03:03 Honor have helped the young brand build its roster and match library.
03:08 At number 2, WWE.
03:11 WWE has been the premier name in professional wrestling since it was founded by Vince McMahon
03:17 who purchased what was then known as WWWF from his father in 1982.
03:24 Stars like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and The Undertaker helped pave the way for WWE to stand in its
03:29 place today.
03:30 WWE reaches more than 1 billion people across the globe with its three weekly television
03:35 shows and holds more than 200 live events every year from Madison Square Garden where
03:40 it got its start to Saudi Arabia where it has held events since 2014.
03:45 And at number 1, UFC.
03:49 With a global reach spanning more than 170 countries, the UFC showcases the finest fighters
03:55 from every corner of the globe, each vying for glory inside the octagon.
04:00 Top fighters like Israel Adesanya and Max Holloway consistently put their bodies on
04:04 the line and put on shows that keep fans coming back.
04:08 UFC 300 was yet another example as Holloway was a trending topic on Twitter for his knockout
04:14 of Justin Gaethje in the final second of their battle.
04:16 -
04:22 -
04:23 -
04:29 [BLANK_AUDIO]