It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship was a big hit in Toronto, Ontario as the UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields event has pulled an estimated $40 million for local businesses.
UFC 129 took place on April 30 at the Rogers Centre, the first stadium event for the top mma promotion, which drew approx. 55,000 fans into the venue.
Also taking place that weekend was the first UFC Fan Expo event, which drew tens of thousands into the Direct Energy Centre in downtown Toronto.
An article from TheStar.com outlined the economic impact of the UFC’s first Ontario event along with analysis from Moneris Solutions, Canada’s largest credit and debit card processor.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship went the distance for Toronto tourism and for local businesses, which took in an estimated $40 million from the most successful fight night in UFC history…
Restaurants enjoyed a 19.2 per cent jump in dollars spent compared week-over-week. Similarly, bars and pubs experienced a 15.7 per cent increase — confirming that in addition to the 55,724 fans at the Rogers Centre, many more watched the popular event outside their home.
The Moneris report also showed a sizable rise in retail spending from people who made their way to the downtown core. Apparel and sporting goods stores saw a 41.3 per cent and a 33 per cent jump in sales respectively.
And many people travelled to Toronto to experience the UFC in person, as evidenced by the 20.3 per cent rise in dollars spent at hotels, says the report.
$11.5 — UFC earned a single-day event gate record for Rogers at $11.5 million
19.2 — Per cent jump in dollars spent at local restaurants week-over-week
15.7 — Per cent jump in dollars spent at area bars week over week
It’s almost a given that the UFC will return to Toronto for a second stadium event, it’s just a matter of when with cities across the World clamoring to host events.