UFC News: Potential TV Deal Impacts WWE

UFC continues to have some interesting offers. This time it’s rival networks ESPN and FOX Sports. According to a variety.com report the two have offered a joint deal.

Here are some of the details, per the report:

According to sources with knowledge of the proposal, ESPN has signaled that it would be willing to pay $120-180 million per year to add the Endeavor-owned mixed martial arts league to its collection of live-event rights.

Fox, which currently pays $120 million per year UFC rights, would be willing see that number increase to a little more than $200 million. Fox’s current package includes four Saturday-night fights per year on Fox Broadcasting and a number of fight events on cabler Fox Sports 1 that has increased annually under its current agreement. A joint bid with ESPN would see Fox’s total number of events decline slightly.

All parties have declined comment at this time.

According to the report, ESPN is interested in doing this deal to help it’s new subscription streaming service ESPN+. The service has launched and costs $4.99 per month.

My Thoughts:

Don’t expect this to be the last rumor as the price keeps jumping. This screams of something UFC would leak to drive the price up on another company (NBCU). At this point it doesn’t seem like UFC will get the $450 million they were seeking last October. This helps NBCU some with renewing WWE,  if WWE believes that FOX is truly in on UFC and not WWE. FOX has gone to far in on trying to land WWE. If they end up signing UFC and not WWE it’s only because WWE decided to return to NBCU and not leave for FOX.

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