The UFC may not have a new broadcast rights deal in place until September, but multiple networks are definitely interested in doing business with the mixed martial arts promotion.
UFC CEO Dana White told Sports Business Journal that talks are still ongoing for the rights deal and that negotiations could conclude soon or stretch out as far as September before anything is finalized.
Throughout the process, TKO Group Holdings executives have acknowledged the new UFC broadcast rights deal might be split up between multiple outlets. It appears that’s becoming more likely to happen as talks continue.
“Everything is going well—we’re happy with all the discussions we’re having,” White said about the broadcast deal negotiations. “I don’t know—I don’t know yet, but yes, it’s likely [we end up with multiple partners].”
The nature of the split is unknown although speculation has been that the UFC might carve out the promotion’s pay-per-view broadcasts as one potential package and then another for UFC Fight Night events and other programming such as Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter. Nothing has been decided yet, but numerous outlets are reportedly interested in working with the promotion.
A separate report from Puck states ESPN remains the closest to striking a deal to keep at least part of the UFC’s broadcast rights deal after inking a seven-year agreement with the promotion back in 2018. The deal expires at the end of 2025.
ESPN currently maintains rights over the entire UFC package including pay-per-view broadcasts that air on ESPN+.
Puck reported at least three more major outlets are interested in the UFC rights including Netflix, which already does business with TKO through the WWE and now the upcoming Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight, with Amazon Prime and Warner Bros. Discovery also vying for a potential deal.
Netflix has long remained one of the leaders to land at least part of the UFC’s broadcast deal package after the streamer entered into business with WWE on a massive 10-year, $5 billion deal for the rights to Monday Night Raw.
The UFC is reportedly seeking around $1 billion total per year for the new broadcast rights deal. For now, negotiations continue and it’s possible the UFC won’t have an answer as to where the promotion is going in 2026 until the end of summer.
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