UFC, ESPN Meeting to Determine Future of UFC on ESPN+ Set to Occur in Coming Weeks
The future of UFC fighting on ESPN+ may be settled in the next few weeks. That’s according to a report from Sports Business Journal, who spoke with the president of the mixed martial arts promotion Dana White in a wide-ranging interview recently.
White said he had a meeting on his schedule with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro in the next month to begin discussions on whether UFC will extend its relationship with ESPN+ beyond 2025 when the current contract between the two is set to expire. Pitaro and White will be joined by Mark Shapiro, CEO of Endeavor Group Holdings, which owns UFC.
ESPN is believed to pay around $300 million per year for UFC rights, which sends all pay-per-view fights exclusively to ESPN+. Combat sports have been a key driver of engagement for the service, helping it grow to more than 25 million subscribers. When asked by SBJ for comment ESPN did not give specifics but spoke positively about its relationship with UFC.
“We are proud stewards of UFC and the UFC’s business, and we value that relationship tremendously,” said ESPN VP Matt Kenny. “So we want to do whatever we can to grow our business and also grow the UFC’s business.”
The negotiations might be a bit more complex this time around. Endeavor acquired World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in April, and its deal with Peacock to stream live events ends in 2026. At the time, it was reported the company might have interest in pursuing a unified streaming deal for both combat sports promotions once WWE’s deal with Peacock ended.
The results of White’s meeting with Pitaro could tell fans a lot about the direction the company is leaning in. If no deal is made, or ESPN renews for just one more year with UFC, it will be a good indication that the company wants to sell UFC and WWE as a combined streaming product after 2026.
On the other hand, if UFC and ESPN sign a long-term deal it may indicate that Endeavor is interested in partnering with ESPN’s parent company Disney to distribute live WWE events, as well. Earlier this month, it was reported Disney was in play for WWE’s broadcast rights, but that it would likely send them to FX instead of ESPN. Those broadcast rights are currently held by NBC and Fox, but the exclusive negotiating window between WWE and those networks came and went without an extension being signed.
All options are seemingly on the table as of now, but more clarity is on the way. White, Shapiro, and Pitaro will sit down to dinner sometime in the next few weeks, and potentially decide if ESPN+ will continue to be the exclusive home of UFC pay-per-view events after 2025.
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