UFC fans are not happy with the recent announcement made by the UFC on Monday. The UFC president Dana White revealed that UFC has signed a new deal with ESPN extending their contract with 2 more years until 2025.
As per the agreement, ESPN+ is the exclusive distributor of UFC events and fans in the US will have to buy the UFC's PPV events through ESPN+. The subscription to ESPN+ charger $4.99 a month. The deal will start with UFC 236 on April 13 that features the lightweight championship bout between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier.
??BREAKING:
UFC Pay-Per-Views are now available for purchase exclusively through ESPN+ (US Only).
More information here: https://t.co/mFoIKzAoTn pic.twitter.com/HboOBaecZM
— UFC (@ufc) March 18, 2019
ESPN signed a 5-year deal worth $1.5 million last year with UFC which nabbed the TV rights from Fox Sports. Though the details about the recent deal is not revealed, analysts estimate that ESPN+ will cost Disney from $200 million to $500 million in its first year.
More details about the Deal:
- New ESPN+ subscribers will be charged $79.99 for a yearlong subscription that includes one pay-per-view event while the current ESPN+ subscribers will be able to buy pay-per-views for $59.99 each.
- The ESPN+ base subscription package is $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. ESPN+ will be the home for 20 UFC “Fight Night” events in 2018.
- According to a news release, additional packaging options may become available in the future.
Fans seem quite unhappy with the announcement. Here are some of the Twitter Reactions:
??BREAKING:
UFC Pay-Per-Views are now available for purchase exclusively through ESPN+ (US Only).
More information here: https://t.co/mFoIKzAoTn pic.twitter.com/HboOBaecZM
— UFC (@ufc) March 18, 2019
It would be nice if my espn + app actually stays open. It’s glitchy and it sucks.
— A (@thekindone44) March 18, 2019
I cancelled Fight Pass at the beginning of the year and will not subscribe to ESPN+. Tired of being treated as a wallet to be vacuumed dry.
— David Willford (@Dave_Willford) March 18, 2019
@BellatorMMA ain’t lookin too bad ??
— andy (@andyblaszynski) March 18, 2019
and there goes good ppv numbers. I wonder if @espn is going to shove commercials down our throats like they do on ESPN plus?
— Cowboy From Hell (@_JDevil_) March 18, 2019
Thanks for the memories. You’ve officially jumped the shark.
— JS (@mytwocents74) March 18, 2019
App fees AND PPV fees to watch fights now. pic.twitter.com/M9JYuSp73a
— Darren (@the_finnyboy) March 18, 2019