UFC 306, also known as Noche UFC, is branded to be the biggest combat experience for fight fans. The $20 million+ event (UFC 306) is Dana White‘s dream project and attracted big names such as Jeff Bezos, Turki Alalshikh, Chris Brown, and others. However, the reason behind this visit is much more business-oriented than fans would expect.
The UFC’s current broadcast deal with ESPN will come to an end in 2025. As time closes in, the race to capture a new one has begun. The negotiations for the new broadcast deal will most probably kick off next January. Big streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc, are aiming to expand their sports content. As a result, securing a UFC deal could be a game-changer.
With Jeff Bezos, the executive chairman of Amazon, a visit to UFC 306, is certainly a big hint of a potential deal. According to Dana White, a lot of it depends on the success of UFC Noche. White believes with the new TV deal, UFC will be able to compete with other big sports organizations like NFL, NBA, etc.
Interesting — Jeff Bezos front and center for the card tonight — it’s entirely possible that Amazon becomes one of the biggest bidders for the UFC’s broadcast rights in 2025.
Remember, UFC nearly signed with Amazon last time around before going with ESPN#UFC306 #NocheUFC pic.twitter.com/PNoWBCtzb1
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) September 15, 2024
With the NFL securing a whopping $111 billion deal collectively with CBS, ESPN, and Amazon, the competition in the game is massive. Similarly, the NBA recently agreed to a $76 billion deal with NBC, ESPN, and Amazon.
In 2018, the UFC and ESPN signed a five-year, $1.5 billion contract for the UFC’s domestic television rights beginning in 2019. If the UFC and ESPN cannot agree on a deal, big platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and others could make a move. As such, going forward fans can see a different collaboration altogether.
Dana White’s grand success at UFC 306
Going into UFC 306, Dana White had promised a variety of new experiences for the fight fans. The CEO and his team left no stone unturned and collaborated with immense talents to bring in the best show. The ‘Love Letter to Mexico’ was a dream project for White and had the potential to become a huge pay-per-view.
Success of UFC 306 (via X)Dana White announced, with $22 million UFC 306 broke the record of the biggest gate in UFC history. There is also a good chance that the PPV buys will also do well. Conor McGregor headlined two PPVs that had a live gate revenue of around $17 million.
This one blew past the $20 million mark for the first time in history. White revealed that it was the biggest event ever done in the Las Vegas Sphere. It also had the biggest merchandise sale in the history of the promotion.
$22 million gate for #UFC306. Biggest in history for the UFC.
Bonuses for #NocheUFC
Performance of the Night: Ignacio Bahamondes and Ketlen Souza
Fight of the Night: Esteban Ribovics vs. Daniel Zellhuber
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) September 15, 2024
According to White, the whole event ran flawlessly and he’s proud of his team. Though White didn’t like some fights including the co-main event title bout, everything else was great. It would be interesting to see how UFC 306 affects the upcoming broadcasting deal for the promotion.
