Mixed martial arts: market size
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is one of the fastest growing sports in terms of participation and audience in the world, stressed Alta Global Group Limited.
They have hundreds of millions of passionate fans who engage in various levels of physical and digital participation every day.
According to IBISWorld statistics, there are currently more than 45,597 martial arts and combat sports gyms in the United States alone, which are expected to generate more than $12.6 billion in annual revenue by 2023.
In addition, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s individual sports reports for martial arts and boxing, more than 11.8 million people are expected to practice various martial arts and combat sports disciplines in 2023.
Alta Global Group believes the following key market characteristics create a large addressable total market.
According to The Nielsen Company, mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and has a large fan base, with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide watching promotions and events held by the various professional MMA leagues.
IBISWorld indicates that the broader U.S. martial arts market generated approximately 11.6 billion in revenue in 2023 and consists of approximately 41,849 gyms in 2023.
Relative to the amount of content and platforms for major sports, the small amount of martial arts events and associated content means that martial arts is often considered one of the most underserved audiences in sports.
Mixed martial arts
The martial arts and combat sports sector continues to enjoy significant tailwinds created by the major professional martial arts leagues, including UFC, PFL, ONE Championship and Bellator.
In addition, the majority of the industry’s fight leagues’ revenues are derived from broadcast and media partnerships supported by the industry’s fan base: a community of hundreds of millions who participate in the industry’s professional sector, predominantly through viewing telecasts and purchasing tickets to live events.
Aside from these professional fight leagues, there are many small, unbundled businesses in the martial arts and combat sports sector, some of which are operated by the same highly skilled coaches and athletes who also serve as «talent» for the professional fight leagues.
These small businesses are mostly martial arts and combat sports gyms, schools and academies (operators) that rely on revenue from participating member fees.
