Report: UFC to sign broadcast deal with Fox
Big news for MMA fans from SportsBusiness Journal: the UFC is set to sign a long-term deal with Fox that will bring mixed martial arts to the mainstream.
Fox execs refused to comment on the deal, but sources with knowledge of the negotiations said bidding had gone as high as $90M per year. The Fox deal is believed to be for seven or eight years. As part of the deal, most of the weekly programming that UFC has on Versus and Spike TV will move to FX starting in January. That includes several fight cards, plus shows like the reality series “The Ultimate Fighter.” Fox-owned Fuel also will wind up with some UFC content. But rumors that Fox will rebrand Fuel as a UFC channel are not true, sources said.
Fox was attracted to UFC programming, which has produced some of the highest viewership figures – and most attractive demos – on Versus and Spike TV. UFC also has become more mainstream, with almost all states now sanctioning the sport, although New York remains a notable holdout. Both the Versus and Spike TV deals with UFC expire at the end of the year.
As much as we hate the whole boxing vs. MMA debate, there’s no arguing this deal is a sign the latter is poised to become huge. It’s hard to imagine any of the broadcast networks devoting air time to boxing, let alone out-bidding each other for the right to do so. While boxing’s fanbase and reach remain well ahead of MMA, that could change quickly one every household with a TV can watch the likes of Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar for free.