UFC CEO Dana White is in the midst of negotiations for the next broadcast deal for the promotion, and with players like Netflix, Amazon, and ESPN in the mix, he’s got plenty of suitors.
“The world’s going to change a lot in the next year with our rights deals. Depending on where we end up, but more than likely, we’re going to end up with a platform that is way more global than we are now,” White told the Full Send podcast.
The UFC is currently on the last year of their deal with ESPN. The deal was signed in 2018 to go through 2025 with a price tag of $1.5 billion for the world’s largest MMA organization.
Fans have not been quiet about their disappointment with ESPN. With most fights broadcast on ESPN+ the app has shown plenty of issues and very seldom have any of those been solved.
In the hunt for the UFC are Netflix and Amazon Prime which both boast more subscriptions than ESPN+. According to Statista ESPN+ currently has about 24.1 million subscribers. Amazon Prime comes in at over 200 million and Netflix at an astounding 300 million plus.
Both have experience with live sports broadcasting. Netflix debuted in that department broadcasting the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. They have also put on select NFL games, and WWE’s RAW every Monday night.
They’re also slated to broadcast Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford on Sept. 13.
Amazon Prime has shown plenty of sports, but have a lot of experience with mixed martial arts. ONE Championship has been on the platform since 2022, but the deal will not be renewed in 2026 according to Amazon leaving plenty of room for the UFC.
With Netflix inking a deal with TKO for WWE the link is already there for acquiring the UFC’s broadcast rights.
With two giants shopping for the UFC negotiations are ongoing, but White declined to give too many details.
“There’s nothing. I don’t have anything right now. We’re in the middle of talks,” said White.
“We’ll see how it plays out. Literally have zero info on that right now.”
