UFC president Dana White clears up some details of the ESPN deal, and discusses the future of The Ultimate Fighter.
When the UFC’s landmark deal with ESPN was announced (in two parts) that will net the company 1.5 billion dollars over the next five years, some didn’t think it was the best deal they could have gotten. After all, it seems that Fox offered 200 million for a portion of the programming, but the UFC only ended up getting 150 million for it from ESPN.
Don’t question the quality of the agreement to UFC president Dana White though. He’ll shut you down pretty quickly with praise of the deal he made.
In a conversation with MMA Junkie ahead of UFC Liverpool, White defended the contract:
“That’s what the idiots are always going to do. ‘Is it good, is it bad?’ Our last deal was $116 million a year. This one is $300 million. If you can’t figure out that that’s good, get outta here. I’ve been in Maine blowing my brains out for three days celebrating. That’s how good it is.”
He then clarified the number of shows the UFC will put on in the years going forward, and took the time to take a shot at media members that might criticize the deal:
“That’s exactly right: 42 shows. I have the ability to make some original content for those guys too, and it’s going to be awesome. ESPN wouldn’t cover us. Now we’re on ESPN. Anybody who doesn’t think this is a win, just shut up. Stop covering the sport if you think this isn’t a win.”
He then addressed two big parts of UFC programming – Fight Pass and The Ultimate Fighter:
“Fight Pass will be the destination where the entire library is, and you can watch whatever fight you want too or whatever other content we have on there,” White said. “So that’ll be the same. And this ESPN deal is US. So, Fight Pass is the rest of the world.”
…
“We don’t know yet. We’re coming up on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter. We don’t know. It might be the last one. 13 years, The Ultimate Fighter has gone. It’s incredible.”
The UFC will move to their new TV home in early 2019.