It’s been over two months since the UFC’s exclusive broadcast window with Disney-owned ESPN officially closed, opening the door for other major players to step into the media rights race. Yet, despite growing interest from platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, there’s still no confirmed update on where the Dana White & Co. will land next. The current $1.5 billion, seven-year deal is set to expire in 2026. As the clock ticks down, UFC is reportedly seeking a significant upgrade — aiming to lock in a new media rights deal worth more than $1 billion annually.
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Heavy hitters like ESPN, Netflix, Amazon, and Discovery are all believed to be in contention. Despite a stacked lineup of potential partners, UFC’s parent company, TKO Group, isn’t in any hurry. Last month, TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro made that clear, “We are in no rush,” he stated, pointing to the lack of serious competition in the MMA space, especially with Bellator having merged into PFL — a promotion still finding its footing. Shapiro further emphasized the UFC’s long-term strategy, “We’ll make decisions that are best for the long-term future of the sport and the brand.”
With so much uncertainty around, MMA analysts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell recently shared their take on Morning Kombat. Rather than going all-in on a single network, they believe the Dana White & Co. might opt for a more modern, diversified approach — spreading its content across several platforms. Brian Campbell suggested a possible model, “What if they sign, for example, a portion of their deal with Netflix, and it’s only for four to six super pay-per views per year? And then we’re going to get four to six super pay-per-views” for the “extreme” big fights.
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He also pointed out that ESPN might still retain a role in the next phase of UFC broadcasting,
“Maybe they still have a portion on ESPN — if they have a small contract there — and maybe that’s where the mail-in Fight Night cards at the Apex are. Who will be the other, who will be the third suitor? Is that Prime? And is Prime going to want a certain amount of big names?”
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Among the top contenders, Netflix seems to have a strong shot at landing a slice of the rights. Just last year, the UFC’s sister company, WWE, inked a major deal with Netflix for its Monday Night RAW broadcasts — a partnership that’s already making headlines. YouTube also emerges as a viable player, especially given Dana White’s decision to host his personal $750 million venture, Power Slap, exclusively on the platform.
Ex-UFC heavyweight weighs in on Dana White & Co.’s next broadcast partner
From adding WWE programming to hosting the highly anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul superfight, Netflix has solidified its status as the world’s top streaming platform. As the UFC explores options for its next media rights deal, many consider Netflix a frontrunner to land a share of the promotion’s broadcasting future. Still, due to the rumored “bad marriage” between ESPN and the UFC, some industry experts remain skeptical that Dana White would fully commit to a subscription-based service like Netflix for the long haul.
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub believes the promotion is more likely to strike a split deal. He suggests UFC could test the waters by airing select fights on Netflix while keeping premium pay-per-view events with ESPN. Schaub drew parallels with the NFL’s approach, which involves dividing broadcast rights among major outlets like YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and traditional cable networks. He stressed the importance of safeguarding the UFC’s lucrative pay-per-view business model,
“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,” said Brendan Schaub.
With the broadcast world shifting under our feet, which platform do you think nails the balance between scale, tech, and legacy? Will the UFC go all-in on streaming, or hedge with a hybrid model? Drop your predictions — this media rights saga is just heating up.
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Edited by
Jyotsna Rai