On Saturday (September 14), UFC CEO Dana White will make a splashy Las Vegas debut that he never really wanted to make — and has already vowed never to do again (in large part due to his contractual obligations to MGM).
That day, White will host Noche UFC, a 10-fight celebration specially designed for Mexican Independence Day (which comes two days later on September 16) as the first sporting event inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, on $2 billion arena was built by James Dolan which has so far hosted rock residencies from U2, Dead & Company and Phish.
While White isn't shy about listing Noche UFC as one of the most spectacular and technologically advanced events ever to take place in combat sports, he has repeatedly vowed to the media that it's “one and done,” recently telling MMA reporter John Morgan . “We will never hold an event at the Sphere again.”
That's because, White explains, the cost of an event at the Sphere is so astronomically expensive — especially creating video content for the Sphere's one-of-a-kind interactive video system — that it's nearly impossible to make money through ticket sales alone. , especially for one-off events. (White also has a contract with MGM to host his events at T-Mobile Arena).
“Think about U2,” who served as Sphere's first 40-show concert band beginning in September 2023, White said. SNY Sports on Tuesday (September 10). “Whatever it cost them, they had 40 nights to recoup those costs. We only have one.”
The budget for Noche UFC, originally projected at $8 million, has ballooned to more than $20 million due to production costs, sources say Bulletin board. Making matters worse, Noche UFC ticket sales appear to be in a death spiral, with fans balking at the event's initial $3,500 per ticket asking price and scalpers offering almost as many tickets for resale as there are still available on the primary market, often at steep discounts.
That $3,500 ticket price is also significantly higher than the average $120 per ticket the company charged for the 2023 edition of Noche UFC at Vegas' T-Mobile Arena, an increase related to the huge cost production of Sphere. Noche UFC is taking place at the Sphere because executives with MGM Grand, one of the largest gaming companies in Las Vegas, reached an agreement with the boxing promoter Al Hayman for the date the UFC was supposed to have under a 2017 anchor rental deal at T-Mobile Arena, which White said “totally blew us away.”
Until now, the Sphere hosted U2's 40-date run. a four-night series of concerts by Phish. and Dead & Company's 30-show residency that ended in July. For each, the bands created custom lighting and video productions designed specifically for Sphere's groundbreaking look that couldn't be used at any other venue, meaning Sphere's potential to be a stop on any artist's regular tour would be substantial. baseless.
The UFC is also leaning into Sphere's capabilities. Between periods, the company will air 90-second vignettes, produced by external partners such as Valerie Bush and production company Antigravity Academy. Videos say sources Bulletin boardthey are custom-made for Sphere's huge high-definition screens and require expensive post-production work and computer rendering that only Sphere Company employees can handle.
Even rehearsal times for Noche UFC are difficult: White recently announced at a press conference that because the Sphere is showing a night movie, he can't get his team into the building to rehearse for the show until 1 a.m. m.
All of this creates additional issues that make the Sphere difficult, if not impossible, to host most special events, particularly if the production cost comes with a $20 million price tag. The UFC can recoup some of its financial costs through pay-per-view sales, but relies heavily on average ticket prices of $3,500 that fans don't buy, and a pay-per-view model, either live whether on television, it is not simple for the music industry.
Dolan, however, never made the facility available to host an event, and it's likely that some of the production costs associated with the Sphere will decline over time as the market for cloud computing recedes. After all, Dolan isn't shy about how his future ambitions will make the Sphere more accessible.
The best way to lower the cost of producing Sphere events, company executives said on a recent earnings call, is to build more Spheres. After losing out on a bid for a Sphere in London, Dolan reportedly has half a dozen new locations in mind.
