UFC signs new TV deal with BT Sport until the end of 2018

SUNSPORT can confirm that BT SPORT will be the continued home for the UFC in the UK and Ireland after a new rights deal was struck with the Stratford-based broadcaster.

The new deal runs until the end of 2018 and will see the channel host over 150 HOURS of programming per year. ALL UFC events, including ALL UK and European events, will be broadcast live on BT Sport’s channels.

BT Sport’s original three-year deal with the UFC concludes on July 31 and the broadcaster has made what UFC officials describe as “a significant financial commitment” to secure the rights to show UFC events for the next two and a half years.

And, after extensive negotiations with a number of interested parties, the UFC has opted to keep their events on BT Sport’s channels, with a complete package of UFC events set to make BT Sport a one-stop shop for UFC fans in the UK.

Speaking exclusively to SunSport, UFC vice president and general manager for EMEA James Elliott said: “BT Sport will take all of our events now.

“It gives us a single point of focus for the UK and it makes us a single point of focus for them.”

It means UFC fans in the UK will be able to watch EVERY main card and televised preliminary card live on BT Sport.

The main card broadcasts will be exclusively live on BT Sport for each event, while in a new development the televised preliminary cards for each event will be shared, with BT Sport and UFC Fight Pass both airing the fights live.

For UK and European events where the televised preliminaries fall before the UK watershed of 8pm for subscription channels, the broadcast will be made available to fans via the BT Sport app and also via UFC Fight Pass.

The early preliminary bouts will remain exclusive to UFC Fight Pass, as before.

Elliott told SunSport that BT Sport have demonstrated their commitment to mixed martial arts, with the channel securing not only UFC rights, but also a separate rights deal to show live Cage Warriors Fighting Championship events.

And it’s that commitment to MMA that Elliott says will help drive the sport forward on this side of the pond.

“They understand the product now,” he explained.

“It takes time for broadcasters to get up to speed with us. But they’re now up to speed.

“They understand the power of it from a digital perspective. They’ve done a fabulous job for us in terms of promoting the sport.

“They’ve committed to it – you can see that with the other commitments they’ve made to MMA in the market – and I think we’re only going to go from strength to strength.”

In addition to the live broadcast rights, the UFC has made a commitment to provide UK/European programming for BT Sport to air across its channels.

This could see programmes similar to the popular UFC Breakdown and Inside The Octagon online shows featuring commentators John Gooden and Dan Hardy being aired as part of BT Sport’s new UFC output.

And BT Sport will also have access to all the UFC-produced shows for broadcast, including The Ultimate Fighter, Ultimate Insider, UFC Countdown and any new made-for-TV programming that is produced in future.

It is believed that, in addition to BT Sport’s excellent digital UFC output across social media, there will also be more promotion of UFC events across BT Sport’s linear TV channels, with the broadcaster’s Premier League football rights likely to play a major role in helping promote UFC events.

From the start of the coming season, BT Sport will have the rights to show 36 Saturday Premier League matches, with 28 of them at the teatime 5:30pm timeslot, which will provide the perfect platform from which to promote UFC events later that evening.

And that timeslot offers the prospect of European-based UFC events being aired immediately following a live Premier League game, with the opportunity for BT Sport to promote live primetime UFC events to their huge football-watching audience.

Elliott explained that BT Sport’s increased investment in MMA, plus the new, catch-all TV deal, will only serve to strengthen the hand of the UFC’s EMEA office when it comes to negotiating with the head office in Las Vegas for more investment and more events on this side of the pond.

“The UK and Ireland is a key strategic market for us,” he said.

“This deal only reinforces that and solidifies the fact that this market is something that we need to invest in as a business and something we’ll continue to invest in as a business.”

In an official announcement set to be released today, Elliott said: “There is no doubt that our initial partnership with BT Sport placed UFC and the sport of MMA in front of an engaged sports audience, and helped to grow the sport in the UK and Ireland.

“This renewal is a signal from both organisations that there is clearly more to come and that BT Sport provides the perfect platform on which to continue to grow the sport of MMA and UFC.

“The potential for growth for both organisations is huge and we are delighted to be continuing our partnership and to building something special.”

Head of BT Sport Simon Green said: “UFC were one of the first partners that we announced back in 2013 when we launched BT Sport.

“Since then we have both come a long way and I’m very happy to announce today that we will continue to grow the sport with even more exclusive UFC action live on BT Sport.”

The new deal comes into effect from Monday August 1.