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The broadcasting rights for the UFC have been of significant interest in 2025. In fact, it was a topic of conversation in the quarterly TKO financial call just a few days ago on May 8. It was touched on by TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro, who addressed the promotion's broadcasting rights trajectory.
While ESPN still owns the broadcasting rights, the deal expires in 2026. Moreover, the exclusive negotiation window for ESPN expired back in April, which has opened the door for other potential suitors. The promotion, though, is seeking a $1 billion per year deal, according to MMA Fighting.
"We're in discussions at this time with various third parties regarding the UFC's rights. I would term the conversations as thoughtful and strategic. Nothing to announce at this time and ESPN is still heavily included in the mix."
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The promotion isn't interested in rushing a decision, and its relationship with ESPN has remained solid. However, there have been hiccups regarding streaming quality on ESPN+ at times. The promotion's CEO, Dana White, is currently occupied with his boxing venture under the TKO Boxing league.
In fact, he is promoting the highly anticipated boxing match between all-time great pugilists Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford. He presided over a face-off involving the pair, snapping a picture and sharing it in his Instagram story to generate hype for the bout.
Given that the UFC commands a disproportionate amount of the MMA fandom's attention compared to other promotions, it comes as no surprise that White can steer his focus elsewhere, even if temporarily.
The UFC could partner up with Netflix
Netflix is no stranger to being a streaming platform for combat sports. It famously streamed the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match. Unfortunately, the event was not without controversy, especially regarding Netflix's ability, or lack there of, to stream live sports events.
The Paul vs. Tyson bout was plagued by stutters, frame drops, and random disconnects. It caused many to miss chunks of the matchup.
Nevertheless, Netflix remained proud of their effort and they have emerged as potential candidates to claim the UFC's broadcasting rights.
