Former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub speculated that the streaming issues during UFC 313 on ESPN+ were a negotiation tactic by ESPN amid broadcast rights discussions, despite ESPN apologizing for a technical issue and offering the main card for free to subscribers the following day.
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub wasn’t alone in his frustration during UFC 313. Many fans and fighters struggled with ESPN+’s streaming issues.
Saturday’s pay-per-view, featuring Magomed Ankalaev‘s win over Alex Pereira, left viewers outraged. They’d paid for the main card but couldn’t watch it due to technical glitches. UFC execs were “furious,” while ESPN issued an apology to MMA Fighting, acknowledging the issues.
ESPN explained, “Unfortunately, we experienced a technical issue that impacted purchases of the UFC PPV on ESPN+ shortly after 10pm ET.” They claimed the problem was fixed before the main event and promised improvements.
Despite offering the main card free to ESPN+ subscribers on Sunday, dissatisfaction lingered. Schaub voiced skepticism on his podcast, suggesting it wasn’t just a glitch but a negotiation tactic amid broadcast rights discussions.
Schaub speculated, “The whole ESPN+, the pay-per-view not working… if you think that wasn’t on purpose, you’re out of your mind.” He hinted at possible strategic moves by ESPN, questioning their commitment to the UFC.
He added, “That’s someone going, ‘Oh, really, you want to play hardball? This is what your numbers will look like without us.’” Yet, Schaub admitted uncertainty about his theory’s accuracy.
Schaub found the timing suspicious, saying it was too coincidental. “Never had issues. All of a sudden, half the f*cking world has issues? That’s weird.”
Though Schaub hadn’t faced prior streaming problems with ESPN+, past issues have occurred during their partnership. However, deliberately causing disruptions could financially harm ESPN, considering they pay for each PPV regardless of sales.