TKO Group Holdings delivered mixed first-quarter earnings results Wednesday, meeting Wall Street analysts’ revenue expectations but falling a bit short on earnings per share.

Total revenue at the Ari Emanuel -led sports and live entertainment company rose 26% from the year-ago period to reach $1.597 billion. Earnings per share came in at $1.12 on a diluted basis, up from 69 cents in the 2025 frame. Analysts had put the earnings bar at $1.14.

Increased rights fees in the quarter, primarily due to Paramount’s 7-year, $7.7 billion rights deal taking effect in January, lifted the UFC division. The IMG unit, which includes the On Location corporate hospitality provider, saw revenue shoot up 38% to $655.4 million, mainly due to sales at last winter’s 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

At UFC, the Paramount deal helped push revenue up 12% from the prior-year quarter, to $401.2 million.…