UFC broadcast deal: Who has the best odds of landing combat sports giant?

UFC followers have one essential query that must be answered: The place do I watch in 2026?

ESPN has been the UFC’s unique U.S. broadcast rights companion since 2018 and the deal has been fruitful for each events, with the UFC’s near-weekly occasion schedule drawing subscribers to the media large’s ESPN+ subscription service and Dana White and firm getting cash hand over fist because the UFC empire continues to increase.

Nonetheless, that partnership may very well be at an finish with the contract set to run out on the finish of 2025 and the 2 events unable to return to an settlement by the tip of their unique negotiating window which handed April 15. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro sounded confident they’re still in the game, telling Sports activities Enterprise Journal, “we stay fascinated about attempting to determine one thing out with these guys.”

However is it extra seemingly the UFC finds a extra profitable deal elsewhere?

MMA Preventing’s Damon Martin and Alexander Ok. Lee break down the highest candidates to land what is bound to be an enormous UFC broadcasting deal and what this implies for the viewer expertise going ahead.

Netflix

Martin: That is by far the most well-liked alternative relating to the subsequent broadcast companion and it’s simple to see why. Netflix boasts over 300 million subscribers worldwide. As compared, ESPN is on the market in about 70 million households within the U.S. and ESPN+ has slightly below 25 million subscribers. In different phrases, Netflix has a a lot, a lot larger attain. Add to that, Netflix simply signed an enormous $5 billion, 10-year deal for WWE’s flagship present Monday Evening Uncooked and the UFC and WWE share the identical possession.

Another bonus—Netflix has at all times prevented getting too deep into sports activities as a result of the season-long format doesn’t work for them as a result of subscribers might pay for the service for, say, six or seven months after which drop it as soon as a season ends. That’s not the case with UFC, which holds occasions virtually each weekend all year long. Throw within the chance that Netflix pays much more to get the pay-per-view bundle with these occasions solely accessible to subscribers just like the Jake Paul–Mike Tyson battle and it actually does appear to be a match made in heaven.

Odds: +150

Lee: At this level, it might be shocking if it UFC made some other alternative than to companion with Netflix, proper? The onetime DVD supply service (actual ones know) has taken a ginormous leap into sports activities leisure, teaming up with Paul and Tyson for some of the watched fights of all time and turning into a tag group companion of the WWE throughout one of many skilled wrestling group’s increase durations.

Anecdotally talking, I can let you know a lot of my mates who had been lapsed wrestling followers have gotten again into semi-regular WWE watching merely due to the comfort of getting it multi functional handy streaming basket. Having that choice might do wonders for UFC viewership and in the event that they handle to set this up on worldwide Netflix platforms as nicely, Dana White might be one step nearer to his plans of world domination.

ESPN

Martin: The UFC loves being on ESPN as a result of whereas the old-fashioned mannequin of cable TV is almost useless, the Disney-owned community continues to be the gold customary relating to sports activities. ESPN provides the UFC legitimacy, however with report revenues, large sold-out crowds and the model itself turning into larger than virtually each sport on the market in addition to possibly the large three (NFL, NBA and Main League Baseball), it’s not a crucial connection anymore.

Nonetheless, ESPN+ has successfully survived primarily based solely on having the UFC since first launching. Now ESPN is planning to launch a brand new streaming service within the close to future and with the UFC offering a lot content material, it’s powerful to think about simply letting that go with out combating to maintain no less than a part of the general broadcast deal. That is perhaps the larger stakes for ESPN—the community might not be capable to afford to maintain the entire UFC content material any longer, but when there’s nonetheless a bit of the pie accessible, like possibly simply UFC Battle Evening playing cards, that is perhaps sufficient to maintain them bidding.

Odds: +350

Lee: There’s no place like residence.

True, it’s solely been seven years since UFC and ESPN partnered up, however with the velocity at which media strikes to day, it appears like 70. No matter how one may really feel about the necessity to feed the ESPN+ machine with an rising quantity of forgettable Battle Evening playing cards, there’s a familiarity with the present product that’s laborious to disclaim. Be mindful, too, that the ESPN continues to be extensively considered the No. 1 model in sports activities reporting within the U.S., so having a constructive relationship on that facet of issues has additionally been large for UFC progress.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t break it” as the good Charles Oakley as soon as mentioned and it’s attainable that mentality might result in UFC sticking round on a brand new deal. However that cash higher be proper.

ONE Championship

Amazon Prime

Martin: Earlier than inking a seven-year deal price roughly $300 million per 12 months with ESPN, the UFC was closing in on a partnership with Amazon Prime Video. Whereas Amazon ended up working with ONE Championship and even putting a cope with Premier Boxing Champions, Jeff Bezos undoubtedly is aware of the UFC is the one which received away.

After shelling out $1 billion per 12 months to broadcast the NFL’s Thursday evening video games and one other $1.8 billion for part of the NBA bundle, Amazon might not wish to tack on one other nine-figure sum to land the UFC; then once more, they will afford it. The corporate earned over $637 billion in income in 2024 alone. Amazon stealing the UFC away from ESPN and doubtlessly Netflix additionally retains them as a severe menace to take over much more of the reside sports activities market and Bezos loves profitable these wars.

Odds: +500

Lee: Bezos positively needs to make a splash particularly with a few of his streaming service’s status packages failing to register within the zeitgeist (dangle in there Rings of Energy!). One thing concerning the UFC positively feels off-brand while you’re speaking Amazon Prime, however possibly that’s the sort of shakeup it wants to shut the hole between itself and the opposite streaming companies. Think about watching an episode of The Boys after which hangin’ with the boooooyyyyyz. what, I’m speaking myself into it.

Amazon: Delivering something you want, together with fistfights.

Warner Bros.

Martin: This one appears like a protracted shot but it surely’s unattainable to disregard that Warner Bros. Discovery—father or mother firm to HBO, TBS, TNT, MAX streaming, and so forth—simply misplaced out on the NBA bundle, which ended a relationship courting again many years. The household of networks nonetheless has NCAA March Insanity, Main League Baseball, and the NHL however getting no less than a part of the UFC bundle would serve them nicely, particularly with no different main sports activities rights arising once more for the subsequent few years.

There was a time when the UFC touchdown on HBO would have been large information as a result of the premium cable outlet as soon as promoted among the largest boxing matches in historical past. However nowadays, HBO is rather more about profitable Emmy awards and getting hundreds of thousands upon milions of subscribers to observe The Final of Us and Home of the Dragon relatively than going after sports activities.

So whereas Warner Bros. Discovery has the platform, it’s powerful to think about the UFC leaping at this sort of deal until the monetary figures are too ridiculous to disregard.

Odds: +1500

Lee: Agree, this appears extremely unlikely, but when it results in UFC on TNT hosted by Ernie Johnson alongside Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, with Bas Rutten changing Shaq, I’m all for it.

Now that has Emmy written throughout it.

Esther Lin/MMAFighting.com

The sector

Martin: For the reason that UFC grew to become a very viable model price billions, the corporate has by no means re-upped with the identical firm twice. Spike TV realistically by no means had a shot to maintain the UFC, and the group jumped ship to maneuver to FOX. From there, the UFC inked the cope with ESPN and over the previous seven years, there have been loads of new contenders vying for sports activities rights. We didn’t even point out Apple TV, one other main participant with deep, deep pockets, and there are different retailers like Paramount or possibly even FOX that might shock everyone with a profitable provide.

It simply appears unlikely the UFC takes more cash for occasions to finish up on CBS Sports activities Community or presumably going again on FS1 once more. That’s why the sector doesn’t look nice relating to the chances to land the UFC TV deal. Apple TV might be the one actual menace right here as a result of that firm at all times has cash to burn.

Odds: +2000

Lee: One thing about UFC ending up on the identical streaming platform because the Academy Award-winning movie CODA simply makes me chuckle for some purpose.

Although maybe not as humorous as teaming up with Paramount, not solely as a result of that’s the place Bellator MMA went to die a gradual loss of life, however as a result of Paramount is the community previously often known as Spike TV! Discuss going residence once more.

Might we see UFC spreading the wealth and teaming up with a number of broadcast companions once more? It appears unlikely compared to having your model all in a one-stop store for the buyer.