UFC Signs Deal With Fox

[Troy]

Ultimate Fighting Championship — the mixed-martial-arts promotion — has reached a multi-year broadcast deal with Fox, according to a published report Tuesday.

Sports Business Daily (SBD) reports that UFC and Fox have agreed on a contract believed to be for seven or eight years, and worth as much as US$90-million per year.

According to the report, as many as four UFC events will air on Fox each year, marking the first time UFC will be broadcast on one of the four major American networks.

UFC’s contract with Spike TV, its home to such programming as The Ultimate Fighter reality-TV show and dozens of live events since 2005, along with its deal with Versus network expires at the end of the year.

UFC president Dana White has said whenever the subject of a TV deal was brought up in recent months that the company “is talking to everybody.†According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, that included potentially buying a controlling interest in NBC Universal’s G4 channel and rebranding it.

SBD reports that the Fox deal will include most of the programming that currently airs on Viacom-owned Spike TV and Versus network being moved to FX beginning in January. In addition, other UFC programming will air on Fox-owned Fuel.

According to the report, Spike TV “ultimately passed over concern that its UFC shoulder programming stopped growing. Shows like Unleashed, Knockouts and Countdown averaged one-million viewers in (2005). This year, they are averaging 492,000.â€

SPD also reported that Spike has the rights to UFC’s library programming through 2012, including old fights and shoulder programming such as UFC Unleashed.

Huge news for UFC going from $35 million a year with Spike to $90 million a year with Fox. Being on Fox will be huge for UFC since UFC on a major network will draw huge numbers, pretty good deal for Fox as well. I like that Fox will be showing UFC on their sport channel as well.

Bad news for Spike that UFC is leaving the network as it was huge for them and one of the two top brands for them along with TNA. Good news for Spike that they have the rights to the UFC library, bad that UFC didn't manage to get them in the contract.

What do you think of this deal for UFC? What is the next level for UFC? Will they need to hire more fighters to fill all the shows?

 

[Dademo]

I think this was a good idea and gives great exposure for the sport. The things they are doing with TUF and stuff are very interested.

One thing I'm ticked off on is that I heard that Fuel TV will now host the Prelims.. that's not in my cable package, and spike was.

 

[Troy]

Very interesting what they are doing with TUF where the elimination fights will be live every friday rather than taping the entire season before it even airs. Two seasons of TUF a year will be interesting as well to see who UFC book as coaches for the shows to keep the ratings up. 10 live tv events a year as well is another key point because they will need to keep some reasonably big names off PPV to get people tuning in to those shows. I wonder if UFC will now simply combine Strikeforce into UFC like they did with WEC once the old Strikeforce deals end.

 

[Deezy]

Finally network coverage. UFC will grow even more because of this.