ESPN+ US subs gain exclusive access to UFC PPV events
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Editor
| 19 March 2019

Bolstering the content offer of the recently launched service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN, ESPN+ has sealed an exclusive deal with martial arts organisation UFC.

The two parties say that their agreement is designed to deliver value and simplicity to mixed martial arts fans, making ESPN+ the exclusive distributor of UFC pay-per-view events in the US until 2025. It will also make ESPN+ the single point of purchase for consumers of the biggest events from the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation throughout the year and the definitive destination for fans to get the most comprehensive coverage of UFC.

Coverage will begin with UFC 236: Holloway vs. Poirier 2 on 13 April 2019, and from then ESPN+ will showcase 12 blockbuster live events per year from, for each of the next seven years.

The agreement adds a new business model to ESPN+ and builds upon an existing multi-platform rights agreement announced in 2018, which is now extended through 2025. UFC PPV events sold through ESPN+ will include all bouts on the Main Event fight cards and will be streamed in high definition in both English and Spanish. UFC’s digital brands — UFC.TV, UFC.com and UFC App — will continue to serve as a consumer entry point for PPV events. Once there, fans will be directed to ESPN+ on ESPN.com, where they will be able to purchase and watch UFC PPV events.

“With the addition of UFC PPV events, we are making ESPN+ an absolute must-have for any fan of the UFC and mixed martial arts,” said Kevin Mayer, Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer & International, The Walt Disney Company. “In less than a year, ESPN+ has established itself as the leader in direct-to-consumer sports and this new programming agreement adds a significant business to our platform while reinforcing the value and strength of our product and our content line-up.”

“Today’s announcement further establishes the strength of the partnership between UFC and ESPN,” added UFC president Dana White. “Now our fans will be able to watch all UFC events exclusively on ESPN platforms, including ESPN+, which is an innovative way to deliver fights to our young fan base. I couldn’t be more excited to work with ESPN for the next seven years. Together we’re going to do amazing things to help grow this sport.”