The UFC’s 2018 ESPN deal is up next year, leaving the UFC open to other offers. ESPN’s current deal is worth $1.5 billion. There are some other platforms that the UFC could look at. Amazon Prime Video has ventured into combat sports after its boxing deal with PBC. Netflix recently stepped into the TKO Umbrella, but Dana White knows which way he won’t turn to!
Dana White often says the public knows very little about behind the scenes. This was very apparent when Roku’s “Fight Inc: Inside the UFC” docuseries three-parter was released a while back. The head honcho had to exercise many decisions along the way. Dana White says the UFC agreed in 2007 to hold events on the premium cable network HBO. However, the television giant meddled with the UFC product.
We did a deal with HBO where we were gonna put fights on HBO, HBO came in and started going, ‘We’re gonna have to turn this music down, this is gonna have to—’ No. Nah nah nah no. You guys are not running our production…I believe if we had let HBO do what they wanted to do, it would have hurt us and hurt our brand.
Dana White in a FOX News ‘One Nation’ Exclusice with Brian Kilmeade
WWE has a $5 billion deal with Netflix for the Monday Night Raw brand for the next decade. So, that could be an option when the current deal runs through. However, the 54-year-old is more concerned about upholding the UFC ethos. More to it, they might just rehash a new deal with ESPN.
Despite a TKO Group Financial restraint on locales, the deal is going strong so far. As a result, Turki Alalshikh and the Saudi GEA recently had their first Fight Night (UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov) stream under the same brand. The Saudi GEA is also sanctioning the rebranded Riyadh Season Noche UFC. As such, the deal might persist.
Dana White has no regrets about the HBO deal and recalls how the CBS deal ended
Turning down HBO due to differences in their production mechanism is one thing. The ordeal proved hectic as it was. Dana White subsequently mentions Ari Emanuel putting an end to things and saving their hide.
Dana White; CBS (Source: heavy.com/X/reviewjournal.com)That’s Endeavor head Ari Emanuel, who bought UFC in 2016 and still controls the promotion through TKO Holdings. Emanuel’s relationship with the UFC dates back to 2007, when he represented the promotion in an extension of its contract with Spike TV. How did he land the gig? Through getting White a meeting with HBO Sports…Go figure. But there’s also a deal with CBS that could have been.
I literally called Lorenzo and he’s like ‘What do you mean ..the deal is done.’ And Ari got us out of the HBO deal…So CBS tried to come in and make us an offer to buy us at one point, right? And I was in Hawaii on vacation. And ironically, I’m usually late to everything…So me and Showtime were fighting, going at it…And those guys got on and heard us going back and forth, and the call, literally, that was the end of it.
Dana White further said in a FOX News ‘One Nation’ Exclusice (H/T: SBNation Network)
While usually late to meeting calls, the promotional maverick was vacationing in Hawaii and attended early. White says he and Showtime Boxing had a go at each other at one of their calls while he joined on. As luck would have it, (former chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation) Les Moonves joined in with Lorenzo Fertitta. He took one look at what was on and bid adieu!
Perhaps for the best; when Lorenzo and Moonves later got on the phone, it was a full-blown war about reacquiring the company, with CBS making a one billion dollar offer. ESPN has sustained long enough with Dana White’s UFC. Maybe it will continue to do so further.
