ESPN, Netflix and Amazon Prime are currently in talks with the UFC over a lucrative broadcast deal.
However, a new ‘wildcard’ has been added to the mix as UFC CEO Dana White seeks a partnership in the region of $1.5billion.
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That’s according to industry insiders at Puck, who say that Warner Bros. Discovery have entered the picture to snap up the rights for MMA’s biggest league.
Josh Ourand has reported that at least four big organisations – ESPN, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Warner Bros. Discovery – are currently at the table to win the UFC’s broadcasting rights.
YouTube and Disney have also previously been mentioned as potential suitors for the rights.
“Renewal talks with ESPN appear to be the furthest along,” Ourand wrote on Monday, adding that ‘Amazon Prime and Netflix are also in the room.’
White’s promotion signed a five-year $1.5bn media rights deal with ESPN in 2018 and it expired at the start of this year.
In September 2023, UFC announced it had merged with WWE in a staggering deal worth over £17bn, and TKO Group Holdings began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
The new company is led by Endeavour Chief Executive Ari Emanuel, who spearheaded the UFC to new heights after purchasing the UFC for $4bn [£3.2bn] in 2016.
TKO already have a relationship with Netflix after both organisations made a deal to move WWE’s flagship ‘Raw’ show exclusively to the platform from January 2025 in a deal worth more than $5bn.
Back in March, it was reported that Netflix would ‘almost definitely’ be the broadcaster of the UFC when the promotion’s deal with ESPN expired.
Netflix have already proven that they can put on the biggest shows in sports live, having broadcast Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson and NFL games at Christmas.
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However, this new update has thrown a spanner in the works.
“Amazon, I’m told, is most interested in UFC’s pay-per-view (PPV) business,” Ourand added.
“The wildcard in the negotiations is Warner Bros. Discovery, which has been picking up sports rights since losing out on the NBA last year.
According to Puck, the UFC may split their broadcast deal into two separate packages.
One would look at exclusive rights for UFC PPVs, while the other could break down into the promotion’s standard events, such as UFC Fight Nights, Dana White’s Contender Series, and The Ultimate Fighter.
This could leave room for a smaller organisation like Warner Bros. Discovery to pick up the UFC’s standard events, should Netflix or Amazon win the rights to the PPV cards.
The UFC could be shown exclusively on …
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime
- ESPN
- Warner Bros. Discovery
- YouTube
- Disner
Nonetheless, White, 55, is in a very good position, and an announcement on his next broadcasting partner is expected in the next few months.
Back in November, the UFC boss provided insight into his ongoing negotiations with ESPN to renew their deal.
“When I grew up it was channel three, channel five, channel eight, channel 13.” he told the Sports Business Journal.
“Then we ended up with cable. When I was in high school, it was 33 channels or something like that.
“And now we’re at a place where when you look at our business – what’s the ceiling on our business?
“If we have the right fight at the right place at the right time. The answer to that question is eight billion people.
“Lorenzo [Fertitta] and I, when we first got into this, we used to dream about a day where everybody could watch the same fight on the same channel at the same time.
“And that’s happening over the next several years. I don’t know who the players are gonna end up being, but, you know, is it gonna be Amazon? Is it gonna be YouTube? Is it gonna be Disney?
“I have a really good relationship with ESPN. We’ve sort of caught our stride and I’ve been happy with the relationship. So we’ll see how this thing plays out.”
UFC is set for a blockbuster summer that could bump up the price of its imminent lucrative deal.
Merab Dvalishivli defends his bantamweight title in a rematch with Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 on Saturday, before Ilia Topuria challenges Charles Oliveira for the lightweight strap later in the month.
Then, Dustin Poirier bows out of MMA through a trilogy bout with Max Holloway at UFC 318, and Dricus Du Plessis defends his welterweight belt against Khamzat Chimaev in August.
