UFC Becomes ExcLusive to ESPN

[FrankieNYC]

I don't see how this is bad at all. 30 plus events on free ESPN but I can see the quality drop

It will be a mix of ESPN & ESPN+ (OTT)

 

[Meathead Jock]

@FrankieNYC any word if ESPN threw in some demands on getting at least 'x' amount of title fights for the network per a year? If so I hope the fine print prevents them from being interim ha.

 

[chuckleknuckle]

Considering it was not exactly news that UFC was worth $5b in September, anybody saying that is completely ridiculous

So that'll be 95% of the broke ass sherconomists on here then

 

[HelpYouFall]

Thank god Skip Bayless isn't around anymore to give his bs opinion on the matter ...

 

[Benoitthegr8]

I’m honestly conflicted on this in so many ways I don’t know how to feel... need time to process and have more coffee, below is my initial feeling ATM

 

[FrankieNYC]

@FrankieNYC any word if ESPN threw in some demands on getting at least 'x' amount of title fights for the network per a year? If so I hope the fine print prevents them from being interim ha.

No clue
I just heard about this at 7am EST
I sent a few emails out but nothing yet

 

[FrankieNYC]

So that'll be 95% of the broke ass sherconomists on here then

But the other 5% have had some great convo regarding things like this.

 

[BigMuffler]

If true, ESPN provides much more exposure than Fox and FS1.

Does it? Fox is free and ESPN is not.

 

[007]

It will be a mix of ESPN & ESPN+ (OTT)

so the fight night and Tuesday Night series on the + app most likey

 

[tithas]

I wonder why UFC gave up the extra 25M Fox was reportedly offering? Last week it was 150 for ESPN+ and Fox was in for 175M, with UFC wanting 200+. Now UFC is 300 flat to ESPN for + and normal coverage. Why would they have passed on the 175M from fox to take 150M from ESPN? Must be something else to this deal.

 

[Bubba32]

per sports business journal.

 

[Meathead Jock]

You make little to no sense at all

Made sense to me.

You compared Smackdown to be the equivalent of Fox cards AND FS 1 cards.

When Smackdown is their lesser show so its as if they sold 40% of their non-ppv product to Fox. UFC appears to have sold all of their non-ppv product to ESPN.

It looks like WWE probably got a better deal in terms of straight money to me but as others have said, getting ESPN to actually cover UFC is huge for the sport and in many ways free advertising that could potentially help to repair some of the recent poor PPV sales trends.

 

[KeepItRealist]

Thank god Skip Bayless isn't around anymore to give his bs opinion on the matter ...

They've got plenty of other clowns. Kellerman is as bad as Bayless.

 

[Bubba32]

I wonder why UFC gave up the extra 25M Fox was reportedly offering? Last week it was 150 for ESPN+ and Fox was in for 175M, with UFC wanting 200+. Now UFC is 300 flat to ESPN for + and normal coverage. Why would they have passed on the 175M from fox to take 150M from ESPN? Must be something else to this deal.

they'll make 25m more in ppv sales easily by going with espn.

 

[FrankieNYC]

so the fight night and Tuesday Night series on the + app most likey

The deal was originally Tuesday series, etc on the app plus 15 events
Now the whole deal is 30 events with a mix
Since its ESPN they can do what they want. Somethings can change from ESPN to ESPn+.
Its all in house

Seems like some prelims will be ESPN+ & main on ESPN

 

[007]

I wonder why UFC gave up the extra 25M Fox was reportedly offering? Last week it was 150 for ESPN+ and Fox was in for 175M, with UFC wanting 200+. Now UFC is 300 flat to ESPN for + and normal coverage. Why would they have passed on the 175M from fox to take 150M from ESPN? Must be something else to this deal.

Prob was the extra years ESPN offered

 

[007]

The deal was originally Tuesday series, etc on the app plus 15 events
Now the whole deal is 30 events with a mix
Since its ESPN they can do what they want. Somethings can change from ESPN to ESPn+.
Its all in house

Seems like some prelims will be ESPN+ & main on ESPN

Do guys like Anik, Florian etc starting looking for new jobs

 

[FrankieNYC]

I wonder why UFC gave up the extra 25M Fox was reportedly offering? Last week it was 150 for ESPN+ and Fox was in for 175M, with UFC wanting 200+. Now UFC is 300 flat to ESPN for + and normal coverage. Why would they have passed on the 175M from fox to take 150M from ESPN? Must be something else to this deal.

We don't know what the Fox offer entailed
If it entail;ed 20 events, then the deal amount is skewed.

WME always wanted one partner & if they got $300m they would take it (as I said)
so they got it.

 

[tithas]

they'll make 25m more in ppv sales easily by going with espn.

well 25M is 833,333 PPV buys @ 30 a buy. Over 12 events the exposure has to add 70k on average to each event. Maybe I think it might be the extra years like the guy below said.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Do guys like Anik, Florian etc starting looking for new jobs

That is something I asked
If ESPN is doing production (or not)
If they are, its an amazing deal, because that saves UFC a lot of money