Report: UFC Reaches Huge TV Deal With ESPN

It appears that the UFC has found its next television partner.

The UFC has reached a deal for their TV rights, and it’s a big one. Variety reported on Tuesday night that ESPN has won the television rights package. According to the report, the television network will be airing 30 total UFC shows starting in 2019, which will end the FOX era.

If you recall, just earlier this month, the promotion announced that they reached a multi-year media rights agreement for exclusive live UFC content with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN that goes into effect in January 2019.

This agreement between the two companies provides for 15 live UFC events to stream exclusively on ESPN+. Each event will be branded “UFC on ESPN+ Fight Night” and will deliver a full card of 12 UFC bouts.

The promotion has been under a broadcasting deal with Fox since 2011 in the United States. That financial number has apparently increased over time to around $120 million-a-year, with a planned increase to $160 million in this last year of the deal.

By adding the TV deal as well as the digital agreement together then this 30 show contract will get the promotion $300 million annually for five years, a total value of $1.5 billion. If this report is correct then that means the UFC got less than the $400-$450 million asking price that they originally wanted.

For those who are wondering, the UFC will still have pay-per-view events, as well as the UFC Fight Pass streaming service, even though live fight cards will be shown on ESPN+.

When Zuffa sold the UFC to WME-IMG in 2016 for $4.2 billion, one of the main talking points in the aftermath was what kind of money they could get when their seven-year contract with FOX Sports ends in 2018.

It’s going to be an interesting new year for the Las Vegas-owned promotion come 2019.