Predicted to soon become a $1 trillion-worth brand, Amazon Prime Video looks keen to potentially compete with Netflix for UFC broadcast rights

Streaming giants Amazon Prime Video and Netflix could collide over UFC broadcast rights. Prime Video operates under the umbrella of Amazon, a multi-faceted U.S.-headquartered company helmed by billionaire Jeff Bezos. The organization could possibly compete against Netflix to secure the UFC's partial or complete broadcast rights.

In a Bluesea Research report displayed on U.S.-based financial research platform Seeking Alpha -- as cited by The Street -- Amazon Prime Video is expected to be worth $1 trillion in a few years. The Amazon organization's streaming arm is deemed a fierce competitor of fellow U.S.-headquartered streaming giants like Netflix.

Per MMA Junkie, the exclusive negotiation window between the UFC and its current broadcast partner, ESPN, is expected to expire around 2025's first quarter. The UFC could explore other options if it doesn't reach a deal with ESPN by that time.

Amazon Prime Video's Global Head of Sports, Jay Marine, recently addressed various topics during an interview with CNBC. When asked about Amazon's potential interest in a partnership with the UFC, Marine responded by seemingly acknowledging that the UFC is currently in an exclusive negotiation window with Disney-owned ESPN.

Nevertheless, he lauded UFC CEO and president Dana White and the UFC brass for turning the MMA organization into a tremendously successful franchise. Suggesting that Amazon Prime Video would likely join the race to secure the UFC's broadcasting rights, Marine stated:

"Yeah. UFC for sure. You know, what Dana [White] and that team -- I mean, that's an incredible success story. They've grown into just an incredibly valuable franchise, incredibly passionate fan base. I have huge respect for them over there. And if that comes to market -- I think they're in an exclusive window right now -- we'd be very interested in taking a look; as I expect every broadcaster would."

Check out Marine's comments below:

Watch Jay Marine's interview below (*comments at 23:50):

---

UFC could reportedly join forces with Netflix akin to the WWE

Per Forbes, the UFC initially signed a five-year broadcast rights deal with ESPN in 2018, running from 2019 to 2023. A two-year extension was later signed, making the deal valid till the end of 2025 -- including pay-per-view broadcasts too. In 2024, UFC boss Dana White suggested that the UFC could sign with multiple broadcast partners, adequately dividing content rights, after the ESPN deal ends in 2025.

The UFC-WWE merger, under the TKO Group Holdings banner, was a major business development in 2023. The two companies continue operating as separate entities -- with UFC having long reigned as the world's premier MMA organization, and the WWE long being beheld as the top professional wrestling-based sports entertainment organization.

The WWE recently inked a $5 billion deal with Netflix to stream its WWE RAW show on the platform for a 10-year period. Speculation has abounded that akin to its sister company WWE, the UFC could also ink a deal with and have some of its content broadcast on Netflix. As reported by MMA Fighting's Damon Martin, 2025 is expected to be a very big year for the UFC. An excerpt from Martin's tweet read:

"A lot of industry folks seem to believe Netflix is the leading candidate to land at least part of the UFC's broadcast rights after 2025."