UFC could get huge update on new TV rights deal: 'We're in the home stretch'

The UFC appears to be in the near clear with its TV deal for next year, according to Endeavor CEO Mark Shapiro.

Although an announcement has not been made official as of Thursday, Shapiro said Wednesday the promotion is in a good place with its rights holders.

“What I can tell you on UFC is we are in the home stretch,” Shapiro said. “We will provide an update on the UFC’s rights when we have something to announce."

Shapiro added that while the WWE's lucrative deal with ESPN is a big priority, the UFC remains just as important.

The UFC Has Its Sights Set On A TV Deal

The UFC is in the final stages of its TV rights deal negotiation — Dec 13, 2024; Tampa, Florida, UNITED STATES; UFC CEO Dana White during weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

“Our mission remains finding a balance between maximizing monetization and reach and as evidenced by our WWE [premium live event]-ESPN deal, the market for premium content, especially big event programming remains strong and it will remain strong with ESPN as well.”

Shaprio says the UFC-ESPN relationship couldn't be stronger and expects the U.S. sports worldwide leader to be in-play as negotiations wind down.

"I do know that Jimmy [Pitaro] was quoted yesterday when asked about this specifically in the trades, he relishes the relationship with TKO, specifically pointed to the success they’ve had with UFC and what that did for ESPN+, and what they believe that and WWE can do for their strategy moving forward,” Shapiro said.

UFC-ESPN Current Deal Ends At EOY

The ESPN deal is nearly over for the UF — Dec 2, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; ESPN signage during UFC Fight Night at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The UFC has been in business with ESPN since Jan. 2019, effectively moving away from traditional cable and satellite TV access for traditional paid customers to access pay-per-view events.

Instead of tuning into channel 123 on DirecTV, for example, users are currently required to purchase ESPN+ (as one subscription), then the event itself for a separate cost, giving the user access to the fights themselves.

Before 2019, the promotion relied on pay-per-view buyrates as a core value of its business. While the same can be said today, it's a different world.

Minus select linear ESPN events and preliminary cards leading into ESPN+ pay-per-view events, mostly every event is streaming only. There's a good probability the same will be true next year and beyond, as pay-per-view has become more of a digital property.

UFC CEO Dana White is directly involved in promoting Canelo-Crawford, the mega boxing event set to take place in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. The kicker, though, is its broadcast partner: Netflix. As long as one is a subscriber, access is granted automatically.

If anything, the new normal is live sports streaming. Now, combat sports wants a significant piece of it.

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