New Bloomberg Report Features Staggering Figure for Upcoming UFC TV Deal

The UFC may take the same television direction of other professional sports leagues in 2026 and beyond by airing on multiple networks.

Bloomberg Report On UFC's TV Future

News from Bloomberg Saturday a mere hours before UFC Vegas 101 reported that the promotion is targeting a new TV deal worth $1 billion per year. For context, the UFC's current ESPN deal, which began in Jan. 2019, is worth $1.5 billion.

Some major players include Amazon, Warner Bros., Discovery (which the promotion used to work with on Fox), and a newer distributor to the combat sports scene: Netflix. The UFC is open to all options, according to a statement from TKO to Bloomberg last Tuesday.

New Bloomberg Report Features Staggering Figure for Upcoming UFC TV Deal — Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) before a light heavyweight title bout against Khalil Rountree Jr. (not pictured) during UFC 307 at Delta Center. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

"Discussions around our upcoming U.S. domestic rights renewal have not yet begun, and as such, we have shared no expectations regarding price," the company said. ”We are in an exclusive negotiating window with ESPN through mid-April 2025 and look forward to productive negotiations when the time comes.”

Currently, the UFC has near-weekly events with few breaks in between. For example, the promotion is hosting an event on 11 out of 12 weekends to start 2025, including three major Pay-Per-View events beginning next Saturday with UFC 311 in Los Angeles, CA, headlined by two title fights.

When the UFC doesn't have a number attached, it hosts "Fight Night" events, such as this past Saturday's card at the UFC APEX, the promotion's in-house venue in Las Vegas, NV, the same location where the promotion's headquarters is located.

UFC CEO Dana White previously told Bloomberg TV he is open to exploring all TV rights options as the brand continues to expand globally. While select non-U.S. countries, such as England and Ireland, air events on TNT Sports, most of the world reverts to UFC Fight Pass to watch live events.

“We started on ESPN seven years ago and had a rocky relationship in the beginning,” White said last November. “But now I couldn't be happier at ESPN; it's a great relationship, and I wouldn't mind staying with them.”

It remains to be seen where the UFC goes next, but no matter what direction the promotion decides, the move will be huge for the industry.

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