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The UFC’s broadcasting partnership with ESPN is set to expire later this year. ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has offered a measured yet optimistic update on the ongoing discussions regarding a potential renewal of the deal.
During an interaction with Sports Business Journal, Pitaro was asked for an update on the negotiations. Downplaying any urgency or tension surrounding the contract’s expiration, Pitaro emphasized that they are still working to make things work with the UFC. He said:
“The exclusive negotiating window is expiring imminently, but I wouldn't read to much into that. We're not hyper-focused on that window. We know that there's going to be interest in the UFC, and that's great for the sport it's great for them. But we remain interested in trying to figure something out.”
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Check out Jimmy Pitaro’s comments below (1:16):
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The UFC signed a broadcasting deal with ESPN back in 2019, a five-year agreement valued at $1.5 billion. The partnership proved to be a major success for both parties, with each maintaining a strong upward growth trajectory.
That being said, many viewers have expressed disappointment with the streaming of pay-per-view events on ESPN+. A major setback came during UFC 313, when several fans reported streaming failures and drops in quality during the live broadcast.
UFC CEO Dana White revealed that the promotion is open to exploring new broadcasting partners. He also mentioned that the UFC might adopt a strategy similar to WWE by dividing its content across different platforms.
Netflix, which streamed the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing bout last year, saw huge success with the event and is now considered a frontrunner to land the UFC broadcasting deal.
Jimmy Pitaro highlights ESPN’s role in growing UFC coverage
In the aforementioned interview, Jimmy Pitaro highlighted ESPN’s contribution to the growth of the UFC and MMA as a whole. He emphasized that UFC CEO Dana White and Mark Shapiro would likely agree with his claims, stating:
“UFC has been really good to ESPN. We launched ESPN+ in April of 2018, and really the UFC property was the marquee property for ESPN+ at launch. Fast forward to today, and it still is the marquee property for ESPN+. We also at the same time believe that we have been a great partner to the UFC in terms of our promotion, in terms of our commitment to the sport of mixed martial arts and specifically the UFC across our studio programming across dot com, the ESPN app." (0:18)
He added:
"I think if Dana White or Mark Shapiro were sitting here right now, they would echo that. They would tell you that they very much appreciate all of the support, promotion, and commitment that ESPN has made to the UFC.”
