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With the release of the good preliminary TV ratings for UFC on Fox 22, expect the UFC’s new owners (WME-IMG) to continue its business decisions to focus on promoting highly marketable fighters (especially from the women’s divisions) instead of fighters with merit to increase the attractiveness of the UFC to potential TV partners. UFC's current television broadcasting deal with Fox Sports expires in 2018. The deal is for seven-years and brings in $115 million annually to the UFC. Per most media experts, Fox is receiving the UFC at a bargain price. WME-IMG may be seeking $450 million annually for ten years under a new deal.
The UFC will enter the negotiations for a new deal with a lot of leverage. Most other major sports media rights deals will not be up for years, so the UFC will be the only major sports property available for TV networks to bid on short term. TV deals for MLB, NHL and PGA tour expire in 2021; NFL in 2022; and NBA in 2025.
Looking at other TV deals, NBC broadcasts the English Premier League, which averages 514,000. NBC has a six-year $1 billion-dollar deal with EPL.
Major League Soccer (MLS) averages 276,689 viewers over three networks (FOX Sports, ESPN and Univision). The MLS deal, which runs from 2015 through 2022, earns the league $720 million over the contract (ESPN and Fox pay a combined $75 million annually and Univision pays $15 million annually).
The last three Fox cards show why the UFC is highlighting women more on the main cards:
The UFC will enter the negotiations for a new deal with a lot of leverage. Most other major sports media rights deals will not be up for years, so the UFC will be the only major sports property available for TV networks to bid on short term. TV deals for MLB, NHL and PGA tour expire in 2021; NFL in 2022; and NBA in 2025.
Looking at other TV deals, NBC broadcasts the English Premier League, which averages 514,000. NBC has a six-year $1 billion-dollar deal with EPL.
Major League Soccer (MLS) averages 276,689 viewers over three networks (FOX Sports, ESPN and Univision). The MLS deal, which runs from 2015 through 2022, earns the league $720 million over the contract (ESPN and Fox pay a combined $75 million annually and Univision pays $15 million annually).
The last three Fox cards show why the UFC is highlighting women more on the main cards:
- UFC on Fox 20 (Holm v. Shevchenko): 2,440,000 (overnight ratings) (peaked for 4.7 million during the main event)
- UFC on Fox 21 (Maia v. Condit): 2,200,000 (overnight)
- UFC on Fox 22 (Van Zant v. Waterson): 2,690,000 (overnight) (peak ratings will be very high) (the fight also went up against an NFL game).