UFC Promises to Never Return to Vegas as Ticket Prices Plummet

By Blog


Date Posted: September 11, 2024, 07:58h. 

Last updated on: September 11, 2024, 08:15h.

UFC 306, set for Saturday, Sept. 14, will be the debut sports event at the Las Vegas Sphere. It could also be the final one, given Dana White’s acknowledged mistake.

UFC 306, now Riyadh Season Noche, is expected to be the first and possibly last sports event at the Las Vegas Sphere. (Image: UFC)

Ticket prices for this event rise to record levels in Las Vegas. Starting at $2,500 for distant seats and escalating to $23,437.50 for floor seats next to the Octagon.

By Wednesday evening, only a small portion of these face-value tickets were available on Ticketmaster from the original count of 18,500.

Yet, the event is not close to being sold out. A significant number of tickets are still listed on reseller platforms like Stubhub ($720), Vivid ($502), and Seat Geek ($531).

On Ticketmaster, verified resellers are struggling to sell tickets. Listings include $5,500 seats behind some at the original $23,000 price.

The dots represent all the tickets for UFC 306 still available on Ticketmaster as of Wednesday evening. The blue ones are seats that never sold, the pink ones are on offer from verified resellers. These do not represent the only available tickets, however, as thousands are listed only on other reseller sites. (Image: Ticketmaster)

If these tickets remain unsold close to the event, prices will likely drop significantly. This also applies to the hundreds of face-value tickets still available on Ticketmaster – unless UFC decides to gift them to VIPs.

Reason for High Costs

Market as Riyadh Season Noche UFC for Mexican Independence Day, the ten-match spectacle, featuring bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley against top contender Merab Dvalishvili, promises an outstanding lineup.

However, the ticket prices of $2,500 to $23,000 raise questions.

Reportedly, UFC CEO Dana White felt compelled to set high prices to cover the $8 million production costs, primarily for content displayed on the Sphere’s large hi-def screen.

“Consider U2,” White told SNY Sports on Sept. 10, comparing costs to those of the Irish band’s residency. “They had 40 nights to use to cover costs. We only have one.”

According to reports, UFC’s production expenses have now reached $20 million, even after collaborating with external producers for additional content between matches.

While some expenses might be recouped through pay-per-view sales, White has stated that UFC will not hold another event at the Sphere.

Deception by White

White had previously expressed a strong interest in the Sphere in conversations with ESPN last year. He praised the venue and incorporated ideas for visuals around the Octagon from U2’s performances.

However, according to Billboard, UFC 306 is only happening at the Sphere due to an agreement between MGM Resorts and boxing promoter Al Hyman, which violated a promise made to UFC for the date at T-Mobile Arena.

T-Mobile Arena hosted last year’s “Noche UFC,” where ticket prices started at $120.



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