The UFC is embarking on arguably an important 12 months within the firm’s historical past with negotiations about to start on a brand new broadcast rights deal.
The promotion’s present unique rights are with ESPN for tv, streaming and pay-per-view.
It’s lengthy been anticipated that the UFC would search an enormous improve from its earlier broadcast fights cope with Bloomberg reporting that the blended martial arts outfit is in search of greater than $1 billion per 12 months, which is greater than double what ESPN presently pays. MMA Combating has beforehand reported that the UFC was anticipated to hunt a big improve within the new broadcast rights deal for quite a few causes — not the least of which is the UFC is the one main sports activities property with a TV deal coming due for the following three years.
The UFC, and by extension the promotion’s homeowners at TKO Group Holdings, don’t tackle particulars concerning the broadcast rights deal publicly however negotiations with ESPN are anticipated to start subsequent week with an unique negotiating window working via April 15.
Following that date, the UFC can start fielding gives from different potential suitors.
Whereas TKO and UFC executives have repeatedly heaped reward on ESPN as a enterprise accomplice, it’s not possible to disclaim attainable curiosity from quite a few different broadcast entities, which now consists of main streaming providers similar to Netflix and Amazon.
“Discussions round our upcoming US home rights renewal haven’t but begun, and as such we’ve got shared no expectations concerning worth,” UFC officers advised Bloomberg in an announcement. “We’re in an unique negotiating window with ESPN via mid-April 2025, and look ahead to productive negotiations when the time comes.”
ESPN presently pays roughly $450 million per 12 months to the UFC, which incorporates charges to broadcast pay-per-views completely via the ESPN+ streaming service.
It’s completely attainable that the following UFC broadcast deal finally ends up being break up up between a number of companions, which is analogous to different main sports activities leagues just like the NFL and NBA. That mentioned, the underside line virtually at all times comes right down to cash so it at all times relies on what a selected outlet is keen to pay and that probably determines if the UFC indicators with one community or a number of.
There are reportedly a number of main patrons inquisitive about acquiring the UFC’s broadcast rights together with Amazon, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, YouTube and clearly ESPN.
Netflix not too long ago inked a 10-year, $5 billion deal to land the printed fights for WWE’s flagship present Monday Night time Uncooked, and it’s no coincidence that WWE is a part of the identical firm with UFC.
TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and TKO president Mark Shapiro are anticipated to guide the negotiations on the UFC’s new broadcast deal. It’s unlikely a call is made on a brand new deal till after April 15 when the UFC is free to subject gives from different potential companions after ESPN’s unique negotiating window closes.
“We’re going to maximise worth for our shareholders and we’re going to maximise model and attain potential for our personal properties,” Shapiro mentioned concerning the new broadcast rights deal in December. “Which means virtually as a lot as worth. I can’t say sufficient and I’ve mentioned advert nauseum about ESPN and Disney and the way in which they’ve supported and grown and marketed and simply creatively gotten behind the UFC. Simply been a rare accomplice and FOX, by the way in which, was a rare accomplice earlier than that. However ESPN simply has a lot attain and the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, got here up in sports activities so he will get it. He will get the storytelling, he will get the attain, he will get engagement. [ESPN chairman] Jimmy Pitaro’s been an exceptional accomplice.
“So we’ll be seeking to maximize worth and we’ll be seeking to additionally do what’s proper for the well being of our model. If meaning splitting up the packages or creating new packages, or doubtlessly including fights and dates, we’re keen to do the entire above.”
