UFC an ESPN parent, The Walt Disney Company, on Tuesday announced that they have a reached “an immersive, multi-year media rights agreement for exclusive live UFC content on ESPN+, as well as across a variety of ESPN’s television, social and digital platforms, in English and Spanish, taking effect in January 2019.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to partner with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN on an agreement that will continue to grow our sport,” said UFC president Dana White.
“UFC has always done deals with the right partners at the right time and this one is no exception. We will now have the ability to deliver fights to our young fan base wherever they are and whenever they want it. This deal is a home run for ESPN and UFC.”
The deal calls for 15 live UFC events to stream exclusively on ESPN+, a new direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service similar to UFC Fight Pass. Each event will be branded “UFC on ESPN+ Fight Night” and will deliver a full card of 12 UFC bouts.
As the demographic of traditional professional sports in the U.S. rises, it is no secret that ESPN+ is attempting to target a younger demographic. As a joint release noted, “With more than 280 million fans around the world, UFC boasts the youngest fan base among major professional sports organizations in the U.S. with a median age of 40 and an audience comprising 40% millennials.”
Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $4.99 a month or $49.99 per year, which delivers content via the ESPN App or ESPNPlus.com. ESPN+ also includes MLB, NHL, MLS, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA golf, college sports, and more.
The deal with UFC includes similar content to what fans now watch on FS1, but moved to the ESPN+ service. It does, however, include some differences from the current TV deal with FOX, such as “Dana White’s Contender Series,” which will begin streaming via ESPN+ in June 2019.
There was no announcement of any live UFC events airing on any of ESPN’s linear networks. The promotion currently airs four live events per year on FOX’s major broadcast network.
The UFC/ESPN deal is focused primarily on digital content. It is believed the promotion will still pursue an additional terrestrial television deal.
This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com
