White Teases Fans About The UFC’s Future – ‘We Could End Up Like The NBA’
Dana White has opened up the UFC’s next broadcasting deal once their ESPN contract expires.
The UFC’s $1.5 billion deal with ESPN expires next year, meaning the organization is free to look elsewhere. The deal allows ESPN to showcase UFC fights exclusively on its platform and offer PPV fights, making it the home of the biggest combat sports brand. With the deal set to expire at the end of this year, the UFC has plenty of options.
UFC’s Options
It could follow in the footsteps of WWE. WWE and the UFC came together last September to form TKO Group Holdings Inc. Since then, WWE has signed a deal with Netflix to allow them to air Monday Night Raw. The deal is a $5 billion deal over ten years. Netflix will also air its first-ever boxing fight on November 15 when Jake Paul faces Mike Tyson, showing the platform’s commitment to combat sports.
The UFC could also sign with DAZN. The platform has become a major player in boxing and is now the global leader for showing boxing fights worldwide, especially following the introduction of the Saudis into boxing. DAZN is willing to increase its investment, which could benefit the UFC. There is also the possibility of a deal with Amazon Prime Video. With their deal with PBC, they entered combat sports. Amazon Prime Video has a massive subscriber base globally, with over $100 million in the US alone.
While various deals are on the table, the UFC could also combine with many networks. White spoke about the NBA’s deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime, which is worth $76 billion. The deal, which is over 11 years, solidifies the NBA’s future. White was optimistic about the steps ahead.
White Reacts
“It’s going to depend how all these other rights play out. The NBA was a big deal. Obviously, this one is playing out. ‘Who’s going to get them? Who’s not going to get them?’ It could determine where we end up. Our rights deal is going to be a big deal coming up here. Who knows?
“We could end up like the NBA and the NFL where we end up on multiple channels instead of just one. … It’s all moving and changing so quickly. Yeah, I could definitely see (the UFC on multiple networks). … We have a lot of different levels of fights, whether it’s Contender Series, Fight Nights or pay-per-views. They could end up on multiple platforms,” White said
“They haven’t necessarily begun yet, but there’s a lot of interest and a lot of people out there kicking the tires. It’s interesting. Sports rights are through the roof right now. I have this philosophy. When I grew up, you had Channel 3, Channel 5, Channel 8, and Channel 13. I think that’s going to be the same globally over the next several years, and you don’t know who the players are going to be, who are going to be the majors. Will it be Disney? Will it be YouTube? [Or] will it be Amazon? Who knows,” White stated
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