"It was our Trojan horse" - Dana White reveals how $10M 'The Ultimate Fighter' Season 1 helped the UFC to break into network television

UFC CEO Dana White has opened up about how the promotion invested $10 million into 'The Ultimate Fighter' Season 1 in order to break into network television.

The UFC’s reality TV show, 'The Ultimate Fighter,' played a crucial role in growing the business. Many believed that if 'TUF' hadn’t aired on TV and helped the UFC grow, the promotion would've eventually faded to obscurity.

However, when White pitched the idea to TV networks, they all rejected it, calling a fighting show unfit for television. In his recent interview with Forbes, he talked about the struggle of getting the reality show on network TV, saying

“So we were talking to all the different networks, and none of them liked it. Everybody was terrified of this thing. Once we did it, then all these other leagues started popping up behind us… But in 2005, that was a crazy concept. We believed that because reality television was so big at the time, it was our Trojan Horse to get on TV—with fighting, without it actually being fighting. So we were pitching all the networks, and nobody liked it.”

Furthermore, the UFC head honcho revealed that even Spike TV didn’t initially find the idea worthy. Despite the UFC struggling financially, Lorenzo Fertitta proposed investing $10 million from the promotion’s side. White stated that it turned out to be a great deal as they now own 100% of it, saying:

“Then this new network popped up called Spike TV, and they were labeled the 'network for men.' So we go and meet with these guys, and they don't like the idea. They couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. They were headed to a Dodgers game, and it was going to cost like $10 million to produce the show.”

He continued:

“The Fertitta brothers said, 'What if we put up the $10 million?' They liked that idea a lot better. So we ended up doing the deal. And when you look back on stuff like that—when you have to put up the money yourself, it’s hard. It seems like a big risk. But guess what ended up happening? We put up the money, so we owned 100% of everything. We owned everything, which ended up being a much better deal for us in the long run.”

Check out Dana White’s comments below (8:40):

---

Spike TV producer reflects on ‘The Ultimate Fighter' Season 1's ratings

Dana White and the UFC took massive financial risks to get 'The Ultimate Fighter' Season 1 on air. However, it turned out to be a great deal, as the finale between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar, a light heavyweight bout, delivered massive ratings.

Spike TV producer Kevin Kay, in a recent video shared by VICE TV on X, reflected on the success and ratings of 'TUF' Season 1, stating:

"I just remember looking at those ratings and going like, 'Holy sh*t.' That's what I was hoping for but I never thought it would happen."

Check out Kevin Kay's comments below: