The UFC and ESPN are set to negotiate a new broadcast rights deal, with the current agreement expiring in 2025, and the next deal potentially worth over $3 billion.
The UFC and ESPN are about to get down to brass tacks. They’re expected to hash out a new broadcast rights deal soon.
Dana White, the UFC CEO, spilled the beans on these plans. The current deal’s expiration is looming, set to run out in 2025.
Back in 2018, UFC and ESPN inked a seven-year deal. It was a hefty one, reportedly worth over $1.5 billion, and it even included pay-per-view broadcasts.
As the current deal nears its end, UFC’s first port of call is ESPN. But they’re not ruling out other potential suitors for broadcast rights.
“Our deal is coming up,” White said. He’s expecting to kick off talks with ESPN in the next three to four months.
The negotiations will be spearheaded by UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings. The big boss, CEO Ari Emanuel, will be leading the charge.
Emanuel’s no stranger to big TV deals for the MMA organization. He’s been a key player in almost all of them. Before Endeavor snapped up UFC for a cool $4 billion in 2016, the agency-turned-conglomerate represented the promotion as a client.
This included the deal that took UFC to FOX and eventually led them to ESPN.
Live broadcast rights are hot property right now. Networks like ESPN are all over them, especially with streaming giants like Amazon and Apple TV throwing their hats in the ring.
One Wall Street analyst reckons that UFC’s next TV deal could skyrocket to over $3 billion. That’s more than double the last contract with ESPN.
UFC has a unique selling point – there’s no offseason in MMA. This makes it a reliable source of ratings and ad revenue, something few others can offer. UFC’s dedicated fan base has also boosted ESPN+ growth, with the Disney-owned streaming service now boasting over 26 million subscribers.
Rumors are flying that the NFL is also in cahoots with ESPN. They’re reportedly discussing a groundbreaking deal that could see the football league owning a piece of the network.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has hinted at exploring potential partners to share ESPN but still keep overall control.
Given Endeavor’s rapid growth after spinning off UFC and World Wrestling Entertainment into one company, a similar deal with ESPN could be on the cards. TKO president Mark Shapiro has also suggested the possibility of a UFC TV package being split among several networks, like the NFL and NBA do.
Whatever happens, UFC has a lot riding on this next TV deal. It’s expected to close sometime in 2024.