The UFC is free to barter with any potential accomplice as talks warmth up for the corporate’s subsequent broadcast rights deal however is Netflix already out of the operating?
As a seven-year cope with ESPN involves an finish on the shut of 2025, the UFC is reportedly looking for round $1 billion per 12 months with the brand new broadcast rights deal. With WWE inking a large 5 12 months, $10 billion contract to deliver Monday Night time Uncooked to Netflix, there was instant hypothesis that the UFC may do the identical contemplating they’re each owned by TKO Group Holdings.
That mentioned, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos was requested concerning the firm’s curiosity in UFC or different sports activities rights out there proper now resembling Main League Baseball however he appeared to double down on the streaming service staying principally centered on one-off occasions relatively than investing in a whole broadcast rights package deal.
“I’m not going to touch upon any of these particular alternatives right now,” Sarandos mentioned during a Netflix investors’ call when requested about UFC and different sports activities properties. “However I’ll steer you again to the letter to point out you that our reside occasion technique is unchanged. We stay actually centered on the large, breakthrough occasions. Our audiences love them.
“So something we chase within the occasion area or the sports activities area is a deal that must make financial sense as effectively. Stay is a comparatively small a part of our content material spend. We have now about 200 billion view hours so small relative to view hours, too. However that mentioned, all viewing just isn’t equal. What we’ve got seen with reside is that this very outsized positives round dialog and acquisition and we suspect retention. We’re actually excited to maintain constructing on that.”
The “huge, breakthrough occasions” up to now have included the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson that ended up producing more than 235 million watch hours, which truly crushed a pair of NFL video games proven on Christmas Day this previous 12 months.
Netflix additionally benefitted from The Roast of Tom Brady, which was a one-night reside occasion the place comedians, former teammates and even UFC CEO Dana White poked enjoyable on the NFL legend.
Subsequent up for Netflix is a boxing rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano in July from Madison Sq. Backyard in New York. Until technique modifications, Sarandos appeared to trace that Netflix stays extra excited about these kind of occasions relatively than a much bigger funding in a complete sports activities rights package deal.
“We have now the Taylor-Serrano battle in July. That’s a rematch from after they fought the primary time on the [Mike] Tyson-[Jake] Paul battle night time. It was probably the most watched ladies’s sporting occasion in U.S. historical past,” Sarandos mentioned. “So there’s lots of pleasure on that. The NFL, in fact, is a superb property. We’re blissful to have the Christmas day video games that we opted into the second NFL sport for Christmas day so we’ll be presenting all-day soccer once more on Dec. 25, 2025. Actually thrilling.
“Then as we speak our reside adventures have all been primarily within the U.S. however we intend to develop the potential to do it world wide within the years forward. More than happy with the progress up to now and excited concerning the future for reside sports activities and non-sports.”
One of many greatest obstacles that has stored Netflix from making a serious funding in reside sports activities beforehand has come all the way down to the season-long format, which may lead to subscribers paying for a service for a number of months however then dropping off once more when a season ends.
That’s not a priority with the UFC because the promotion boasts over 40 occasions per 12 months together with the marquee pay-per-view playing cards, which drive an enormous quantity of curiosity on a month-to-month foundation.
As a lot as Sarandos downplayed Netflix getting too deeply concerned within the sports activities rights packages, the corporate did make that vast funding in WWE programming that just about nobody noticed coming on the time it occurred.
Might that even be the case with Netflix doubtlessly working with the UFC? Solely time will inform.
