UFC partners with ESPN in 5 year 1.5B deal

[CitySushi]

UFC, ESPN agree to 5-year, $1.5B rights deal

Highlights:

Consists of 30 Fight Nights per year
10 of the events will be televised on ESPN. The 20 other will stream on ESPN+
ESPN also gets the prelims for PPV.

Pretty massive deal. If ESPN can market this right I think UFC can right the ship and bring in a broader audience.

 

[wildturkey]

UFC, ESPN agree to 5-year, $1.5B rights deal

Highlights:

Consists of 30 Fight Nights per year
10 of the events will be televised on ESPN. The 20 other will stream on ESPN+
ESPN also gets the prelims for PPV.

Pretty massive deal. If ESPN can market this right I think UFC can right the ship and bring in a broader audience.

Eh. No amount of ESPN shoe polish will help as long as Dana White keeps choking the life out of forging new stars. He chased quick, big pay days with people like McGregor and Rousey and now has nothing left on the roster that is any mainstream interest because they've taken steps to limit the majority of fighters from promoting themselves without White giving them his blessing

 

[Scapegoat]

I saw this the other day. It's great news for the UFC and the fans.

 

[CitySushi]

Eh. No amount of ESPN shoe polish will help as long as Dana White keeps choking the life out of forging new stars. He chased quick, big pay days with people like McGregor and Rousey and now has nothing left on the roster that is any mainstream interest because they've taken steps to limit the majority of fighters from promoting themselves without White giving them his blessing

Well now with this deal, it alleviates somewhat the need for quick cashouts. Just having ESPN as a promotional platform should help boost revenue overall and viewership. The key now like you said is to build the roster's top tier, marketable, talent. The UFC has always been short sighted in that aspect.

With ESPN having both their own fight cards as well as prelims there's tons of ways to get big lead ins from their other games they broadcast.

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

Wow, that is an impressive deal!!! However, I wonder the quality of the events they'll put on ESPN+...

 

[Inimical]

Wow, that is an impressive deal!!! However, I wonder the quality of the events they'll put on ESPN+...

I too worry about having to pay for the espn exclusives.

 

[DJ]

Awesome.

 

[DJ]

But, ESPN is hurting.....that's why they fired a shit ton of reporters.....

BS.

 

[DetroitDevil]

fuck espn...

 

[Scapegoat]

 

[MikeMed]

This is great news....bout damn time

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

But, ESPN is hurting.....that's why they fired a shit ton of reporters.....

BS.

Yes and no....Disney owns ESPN and they have bid a TON of money for 21st Century Fox.... However, they may have been outbid by Comcast....... we shall see... Also, ESPN still does make a ton of money, even though it might not be as much as it did 5 years ago...