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The UFC 313 event went down last weekend and was a highly entertaining affair for the fans. However, many were troubled by streaming and pay-per-view purchase issues, reportedly causing the UFC brass to be "furious" with ESPN.
While the promotion hasn't officially addressed the situation, it's no surprise that executives were upset at the technical glitches affecting one of their biggest financial drivers. Dana White notably touched upon the subject at the post-fight presser, but didn't share an explanation about what caused the issues.
In a recent report by the New York Post, sources claimed that the TKO/UFC brass were "absolutely furious" over ESPN's handling of the pay-per-view stream. Intriguingly, the UFC is in an exclusive negotiating period with the Disney-owned company over the promotion's broadcasting rights deal, which expires at the end of 2025.
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In a statement issued to MMA Fighting, ESPN addressed the technical problems that plagued the UFC 313 stream. It read:
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"Unfortunately, we experienced a technical issue that impacted purchases of the UFC PPV on ESPN+ shortly after 10pm ET. Our teams identified and resolved the issue, restoring full functionality ahead of the main event. We apologize for the inconvenience and are taking steps to ensure a better experience in the future." [H/t: MMA Fighting]
Dana White on the UFC 313 stream suffering from technical glitches on ESPN's platform
At the UFC 313 post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about the streaming issues. While the UFC CEO didn't explain why fans were unable to watch the event without hassle, he did clarify that he was aware that many were upset.
Speaking to the press after the pay-per-view event, White dismissed knowledge of what went wrong and said:
"Oh yeah, it made it to me. They were having problems buying it on ESPN+. I don’t know what happened with their platform tonight. There were a lot of pissed-off people." [H/t: MMA Fighting]
Watch the full press conference below:
