The UFC is now officially open to offers from various broadcast partners as the exclusive negotiation window with ESPN has ended.
Although securing a deal before April 15th was always considered unlikely due to the competitive nature of broadcast rights negotiations, UFC and ESPN have had a successful partnership for the past seven years. However, the UFC is reportedly seeking over $1 billion annually for a new broadcast rights deal, a significant increase from the current average of $300 million per year paid by ESPN.
The outcome remains uncertain, but ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has stated that he is not concerned about failing to reach an agreement with the UFC before other networks and streaming services can make their bids.
“The exclusive negotiation window is expiring soon, but don`t read too much into it,” Pitaro told Sports Business Journal. “We are not overly concerned about this window.”
“We anticipate strong interest in the UFC, which is positive for the sport and for them. We also remain interested in finding a solution with them.”
The evolving broadcast rights landscape puts the UFC in a strong position as their contract with ESPN concludes at the end of 2025.
No other major sports property was available until 2028 until ESPN ended its agreement with Major League Baseball in February, also concluding in 2025. The UFC remains a highly attractive and profitable brand, particularly due to its year-round event schedule, unlike baseball and most other professional sports that operate seasonally.
This continuous schedule is a key factor that might make UFC rights more appealing even to platforms like Netflix, which have previously hesitated to bid on sports rights tied to seasons.
Initially signed as a five-year deal, with two additional years added for pay-per-view exclusivity, Pitaro praised the working relationship with the UFC but refrained from predicting the negotiation outcomes.
“UFC has been very beneficial to ESPN,” Pitaro acknowledged. “ESPN+ launched in April 2018, and UFC was the premier property for ESPN+ at its launch. Today, it remains the premier property.”
“We also believe we have been a valuable partner to the UFC through our promotion and commitment to mixed martial arts, specifically UFC, across our studio programming and digital platforms.”
Despite Pitaro`s positive portrayal of the ESPN-UFC relationship, there have been some turbulent moments. Notably, the UFC 313 broadcast faced significant issues where fans and fighters experienced difficulty purchasing and viewing the pay-per-view. Sources indicated to MMA Fighting that UFC executives were “furious” about these technical problems, which were not isolated incidents.
The future direction of UFC broadcast rights remains to be seen, with serious discussions expected to commence on Tuesday following the closure of the exclusive negotiation window with ESPN.
