Just a few months into their media rights deal, ESPN and the UFC have already extended their relationship.
ESPN and the UFC have agreed to add two years to their media rights agreement, which will now last until 2025, it was announced Monday. As part of the deal, UFC has agreed to make ESPN Plus the exclusive carrier of all UFC pay-per-view events.
Starting with the UFC 236 on April 13, all UFC PPV cards will be available exclusively to ESPN Plus subscribers, with existing subscribers paying $60 and new ones paying $80. The events will only be available via streaming, while previous PPV events could be purchased through a cable or satellite provider such as DirecTV or DISH Network.
According to Sports Business Daily, which first reported the news Monday, the changes will not affect the rights fee ESPN is paying to UFC, which will remain at around $300 million per year. ESPN acquired UFC media rights last May, replacing previous broadcaster Fox Sports.
Financial terms for the PPV events were not available. Per SBD, UFC currently takes a 60 percent cut of PPV revenue, splitting the rest with distributors.
While all UFC PPV cards will be sold through ESPN Plus, there is an exception for commercial establishments such as bars and restaurants, which can purchase PPV events from the UFC directly.
[News from Sports Business Daily 3.18]
