5 networks UFC could move to after its ESPN deal expires

The early days of the UFC saw the light of day only through underground channels of consumerism. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that the UFC caught the biggest break in their broadcasting history by landing on SPIKE TV, which was the airing platform for 17 seasons of The Ultimate Fighter reality show and many great fights that helped raise the awareness of the sport. SPIKE was a great first TV home for the UFC, but the company was growing like wildfire after the historic Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar fight, and it was time to move on to a greater platform.

The UFC made the big leap to their first network as FOX and Zuffa LLC (UFC’s parent company at the time) closed a seven-year deal worth $750M. During the UFC’s time with FOX, stars like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor became globally known athletes. The UFC wouldn’t stop there, either. After the deal with FOX ended in 2018, ESPN and WME (the new parent company following the 2016 sale) signed a $2.1 billion deal that made content more accessible to its fan base through on-the-go viewing. Now, the UFC and ESPN’s weighty deal seems like an underpayment for the WME fight organization, and with major tech companies entering the sports world, let’s look at five potential homes for the UFC.

5 1. ESPN+

The UFC can start negotiating a new deal in January

With a pandemic and (so far) one Conor McGregor fight and two Jon Jones fights, the UFC has still managed to grow bigger than it’s ever been during its time with ESPN. When the deal was originally orchestrated, it was assumed that UFC content would live on it’s big TV channels, but aside from a few prelim fights and the latest TUF season (McGregor-Chandler), UFC content has remained in it’s batcave on the world sport leader’s digital ESPN+ platform.

Obviously, the UFC has done good business with ESPN and would expect more money in the next deal, but more importantly, what could be most appealing to UFC CEO Dana White about staying on their current broadcast home is the fact that ESPN (Disney) has not interfered with the product, specifically the athletes, who tend to say the most cavalier statements out of any other major sport. Money talks, and the UFC will listen to all suitors, but it will be interesting to see if ESPN truly believes that the UFC’s home is on their platform.

4 2. Apple TV+

Would the tech giant be a good fit for the UFC

Apple isn’t just making phones and computers anymore, the tech giant has shifted into big-budget movies, original television series and sports. In March 2022, Apple and Major League Baseball signed a seven-year, nearly $600M deal to broadcast about one game per week. The biggest reason for Apple TV+ being a big player in the UFC’s next broadcast deal negotiations is because they have about 150 million fewer subscribers than Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

The UFC fans travel from TV network to App and so on to view their favorite sport, and Apple would immediately see a spike (no pun intended) in their subscription numbers, which is currently around 40 million. Apple, like many subscription services, is in the hunt for the ever popular NFL television deal, but as weighty as that is at the moment, a deal with the UFC would be most cost-effective with a loyal hopping on board.

Mark Zuckerburg is a huge UFC fan

It’s no secret how much Facebook founder and owner Mark Zuckerburg loves the UFC. Not only has he sat cage-side for several big-time UFC pay-per-view events, but the young billionaire has actually trained and competed in submission grappling tournaments. Most recently, Zuck was seen escorting former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski to the cage before his title fight at UFC 298.

Is Zuckerburg just the richest UFC fan in history or is there something in the works with the UFC and one of the world’s most influential tech entrepreneurs? It would be out of left field if we got a Meta UFC channel, but the deal wouldn’t be something out of the realm of possibility. Everyone has the ability to install Facebook on their phones, and when it comes to streaming quality, FaceBook has the market cornered.

2 4. Amazon Prime Video

Amazon is already making headway within the combat sports space

Amazon shows no fear when it comes to diving head first into new content spaces, as they confidently lean on their seemingly endless funding for original content and sports broadcasting. Unlike Apple, Amazon was able to successfully bring NFL content to their platform. In 2021, Amazon and the United States number one sports league closed on an 11-year deal for about $1 billion per year.

The massive contract fully showed that they aren’t just a destination for Black Friday deals or an occasional movie rental, but that they are serious about the most sought after live content – sports. A couple of clues that could lead one to assume Amazon and the UFC are the right fit for one another is Amazon bringing on One Championship MMA for a five-year deal. Amazon has also been propping up boxing matches as well, including Saturday’s Gervonta Davis and Frank Martin fight.

1 5. Netflix

Could the UFC join WWE on Netflix?

Netflix has started to change their tune about live content. The largest subscription-based streaming platform in the world was a place where the team binge-watching was born, as viewers were sucked into a show because of the smooth continuity from one episode to another. The content platform has also dished out big bucks for endless amounts of original high-budget movies and TV shows, but more recently, Netflix has started to toy around with live content.

Never known as a platform for appointment television, Netflix has turned back the clock a bit as they have aired a few shows in real time which could be a test for live sporting events down the road. The infamous Roast of Tom Brady was aired live and the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight will air live. The biggest nugget that connects the UFC to Netflix as a possible future home is the fact that the WWE (now aligned with the UFC under one name: TKO) content will live on Netflix starting in January 2025. The TKO decision-makers will have a few months to see how pro-wrestling plays on their newest TV home.