UFC’s White Addresses U.S. Broadcasting Negotiations

Posted on: April 14, 2025, 05:08h. 

Last updated on: April 14, 2025, 05:19h.

Mark Keast Read More
Expertise: Canadian Gaming, iGaming, Las Vegas, Sports Betting, NFL, Boxing, UFC.
  • Broadcasting agreement with ESPN expires end of this year
  • Rumors of Netflix deal
  • Multiple broadcast partners going forward?

The buzz was still in the air after UFC 314 in Miami Saturday night when UFC CEO Dana White addressed a rather large-sized elephant in the room – the end of an exclusive negotiating window with ESPN on a new broadcast deal.

The UFC signed a 5-year, $1.5 billion deal with ESPN with domestic broadcasting rights starting in 2019. The two parties later extended the deal by two years, and added pay-per-view broadcasts to the agreement.

UFC CEO Dana White addressed broadcasting rights going forward Saturday night after UFC 314 as the exclusive negotiating window between ESPN and UFC expires tomorrow. Image/Shutterstock.

White Address Media Post UFC 314

Attendance for Saturday night’s card at Miami’s Kaseya Center was 18,287, and the gate was $11.5 million. Performance of the night went to Paddy Pimblett for his TKO win over UFC vet Michael Chandler at 3:07 of Round 3 in the lightweight division fight, and Jean Silva for his win by submission over Bryce Mitchell in the featherweight division. Each of those fighters won $50,000.

Paddy Pimblett showed tonight he is the real deal,” White said. “I don’t know how you can doubt the kid anymore. He’s in that spot now where he’s going to be fighting top guys.” Pimblett is 23-3-0 now, with a nine-fight win streak going for him.

Still people wanted to know: What’s new for the UFC on the broadcasting front? That exclusive negotiating window closes tomorrow. If UFC moves on from ESPN, will how fans consume the sport change at all? What about pay-per-view, or will streaming services like Netflix move in and really change the landscape?

The UFC’s U.S. broadcast rights deal with ESPN expires at the end of the year.

There have been media reports out there that the UFC is Netflix bound. Technical issues prevented thousands of fans from buying UFC 313 on ESPN+ in March. Netflix holds the rights to WWE events. Endeavor owns both WWE and UFC, through TKO Group. 

New UFC Broadcasting Deal: Any Insights?

In Saturday’s news conference, White was a little cagey when asked, and said a few times we’ll all have a clearer idea how things shake loose by tomorrow.

When the [negotiating] window opens, we will obviously start talking to lots of different people, and we’ll see what the options are out there,” White said. “We’ve said this every time: There could be a time and we end up on several different networks, like all other sports do. 

“I like ESPN, and I’ve said it many times, we had a bit of a rocky start, which is normal in any relationship, but we’re in a great place with ESPN. Whether we re-sign with them or do not, I have nothing but great things to say about my time at ESPN.”

Does UFC Stick with 43 Events in a New Deal?

White was asked about scheduling with the UFC, if they would entertain going beyond the 43 events a year that’s in place now.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It depends on what ESPN, or wherever else we go, is looking for. Most of the times when you do these deals, you’re catering to what the network’s needs. Plus, they’ll have other programming, other sports that they’re already committed at certain times and seasons, whatever it may be. So, it always changes.”

The future of pay-per-view is contingent as well on what the broadcast partner wants to do, White added.

On the UFC betting odds front, BetMGM has the odds that Pimblett will be the lightweight champion by Dec. 31 2025 at 8.00.