Dana White Set to Replicate $110 Billion NFL TV Deal as UFC’s Netflix Plans Take a Wild Turn

“How nutty is that? I guess ESPN was having all kinds of problems tonight, technically, with audio and graphics I don’t know why.” Dana White remarked during the UFC 304 post-fight press conference, acknowledging the frustration fans experienced with the glitches during last year’s UFC’s Manchester PPV, all thanks to ESPN. Fast forward to UFC 313 in March 2025, and history seemed to repeat itself. The technical problems were even worse. Viewers were unable to purchase the PPV and those who did encounter even greater issues. This reportedly left the UFC brass “absolutely furious.”

However, there’s a silver lining: The $1.5 billion, seven-year partnership between UFC and ESPN is coming to a close. While significant tension marked the relationship, it now seems Dana White plans to part ways with ESPN by the end of the year. Major broadcasters, including Warner Bros, Amazon, and Netflix, reportedly offered deals, as many describe the UFC-ESPN collaboration as a “bad marriage.” Reports indicate that Netflix has emerged as a frontrunner in the race for UFC broadcasting rights, especially after securing a $5 billion, decade-long deal with UFC’s sister company, WWE, for the rights to Monday Night Raw.

However, former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub has dismissed claims that Netflix is the leading bidder for UFC’s media rights. He pushed back against reports suggesting “the UFC brass is reportedly unsatisfied with ESPN,” calling the rumors “not true.” Schaub also argued that the UFC would never abandon its traditional pay-per-view model in favor of a Netflix monthly subscription.

The former UFC star delivered his verdict: “UFC is going to be all over, but you’ll get those fight nights, some of those fight nights on Netflix. And then, don’t get it twisted—the UFC is a proven pay-per-view success. They have a business model they would never, ever give that up and sign all their media rights deals to Netflix, including pay-per-view.”

“Because let’s say in four years, it doesn’t work out, and then they’re like, ‘Oh hey, remember that Netflix you were paying for every month that included our fights? Well, we’re going back to pay-per-view.’ They would never ruin that. That’s just bad business. Get that out of your head now. So all these reports are off. I can guarantee you that.”

He believes that the MMA juggernaut is not ready to hand over broadcasting rights to a single streaming giant. Instead, Schaub hopes that the UFC would keep their PPV events exclusive to ESPN and hand over other cards to Netflix. He then referenced WWE’s agreement with the streaming giant which is limited solely to Monday Night Raw. This is quite similar to that of the NFL, which secured a $110 billion media deal in 2021 with a barrage of media giants.

For the unversed, regular season games were broadcast on seven different networks including Prime Video, CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN/ABC, and the NFL Network. (for 2021)

Moreover, the Superbowls between 2023 and 2032 are also distributed among the networking giants. The distribution is as follows:

• CBS: 2023, 2027 and 2031
• Fox: 2024, 2028, 2032
• NBC: 2025, 2029, 2033
• ABC: 2026 and 2030

To add to this, Netflix expanded its footprint in sports media by securing a three-year partnership with the NFL in 2023 to air Christmas Day games through the 2026 season. Under this agreement, Netflix will broadcast holiday matchups in 2025 and 2026. This is significant considering last year’s single-game deal reportedly earned the NFL $150 million.

Beyond the aforementioned giants, the NFL has also reinforced its partnership with YouTube. They have secured the NFL Sunday Ticket rights in a $2 billion annual deal. According to CNBC, projections suggest this agreement could generate up to $10 billion per year. This further solidified the league’s dominance in sports media rights. As the battle for premium sports content intensifies, Dana White & Co. now faces a pivotal decision regarding the UFC’s broadcasting future.

Meanwhile, tensions between the UFC and ESPN appear to be growing, with both parties facing their challenges. According to New York Post journalist Erich Richter, “The UFC is frustrated with ESPN’s outdated technology, while ESPN is unhappy with the pay-per-view buys falling short of expectations.” Despite ongoing speculation, Brendan Schaub refuted these claims on his podcast. Nevertheless, Dana White has his eyes set on other major opportunities for his multi-billion-dollar promotion beyond ESPN and Netflix. The next chapter remains to be seen.

Dana White spills his ambitions for the UFC amid ongoing negotiation rumors with Netflix

As major broadcasters continue to “kick the tires” in hopes of securing UFC broadcasting rights, uncertainty looms. There’s no guarantee that the next broadcasting giant will avoid the technical glitches that have plagued platforms in the past. Take Netflix, for example. During the November 15, 2024, fight between YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and boxing legend Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium, Netflix held the rights to the event.

However, the platform crashed globally during the fight—impacting both the app and the website. Many dubbed it “the biggest fail in history.” This raises an important question. Why wouldn’t a similar issue arise with the UFC, where monthly pay-per-views attract anywhere from 300,000 to 2 million viewers worldwide? Dana White himself recognizes this concern, as he addressed it during his latest appearance on Dan Rafael’s podcast.

He said, “And the question is, who’s it going to be? Is it going to be Amazon, YouTube, or Disney? The list goes on and on. Those are the players. But what’s fascinating right now is when you look in, you’ve got the NFL, college football, NBA, college basketball, NHL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, UFC, WWE, and tennis… I always go out and figure out how to build s— without the help of anybody… I always try to figure out how to take my thing to the next level and figure it out on my own.”

What’s your take on Brendan Schaub’s comments? Do you think Dana White and the UFC can reach the same level of prominence as the NFL? Especially considering MMA is still a relatively new sport compared to major leagues like the NBA, NFL, and NHL. Share your thoughts below.