Former UFC heavyweight fighter Brendan Schaub was one of many many, many individuals who had points watching the primary card of UFC 313 on ESPN+.
Throughout Saturday’s pay-per-view broadcast, which was capped off by Magomed Ankalaev’s title win over Alex Pereira, numerous fighters — each previous and current — followers, media members, and extra had been outraged that they ordered and paid for the primary card, however streaming points left them unable to observe it. UFC executives had been “livid” over the state of affairs, whereas ESPN issued an apology in an announcement despatched to MMA Combating concerning the issues with ordering and watching UFC 313.
‘Sadly, we skilled a technical problem that impacted purchases of the UFC PPV on ESPN+ shortly after 10pm ET,” ESPN mentioned within the assertion. “Our groups recognized and resolved the difficulty, restoring full performance forward of the primary occasion. We apologize for the inconvenience and are taking steps to make sure a greater expertise sooner or later.’
Whereas ESPN provided up the primary card without cost on Sunday for ESPN+ subscribers, it nonetheless left a foul style in individuals’s mouths, together with Schaub. On his podcast, Schaub doesn’t consider it was a technical problem, however a negotiation tactic because of the UFC’s broadcast rights deal being negotiated.
“The entire ESPN+, the pay-per-view not working, they’re [in negotiations for their broadcast] rights proper now, for those who assume that wasn’t on function, you’re out of your thoughts,” Schaub mentioned. “That’s ESPN, who doesn’t give a flying f*ck concerning the UFC, actually. They’re in turmoil. However for those who don’t assume that’s a flex from them… I’ve by no means had points with them, now hastily throughout [rights negotiations], points simply pop up?
“That’s somebody going, ‘Oh, actually, you need to play onerous ball? That is what your numbers will seem like with out us.’”
Schaub doesn’t know what’s occurring for positive, and it might clearly look like a fairly dangerous tactic from ESPN in the event that they need to preserve the UFC as a part of their portfolio — particularly with the ever-growing recognition of the model.
However after having points with the platform for the primary time, Schaub simply feels the timing of it appears means too coincidental.
“That’s what I believe [with a] tinfoil hat on,” Schaub mentioned. “By no means had points. Hastily, half the f*cking world has points? That’s bizarre. Throughout negotiations? That’s bizarre.”
Whereas Schaub apparently by no means had issues with the UFC streaming on ESPN+, that is removed from the primary time points have popped up in the course of the practically seven-year lengthy relationship between the 2 corporations.
Add to that as a part of the general broadcast deal, ESPN pays the UFC for each pay-per-view broadcast irrespective of what number of gross sales really occur so purposefully creating technical points would really value the Disney-owned model more cash with nothing in return.
