Joe Rogan has been with the UFC by way of a number of totally different broadcast partnerships, from Spike TV to FOX to ESPN, and he thinks the newly signed take care of Paramount may show to be essentially the most fruitful.
The UFC has inked a seven-year deal price an estimated $7.7 billion to stream occasions completely on Paramount+, with choose reveals additionally happening on CBS. That streaming association contains UFC pay-per-views, primarily placing an finish to the standard PPV mannequin followers have turn out to be accustomed to. Because of the comparatively low subscription price of Paramount+ (presently set at $119.99 a yr for the ad-free tier), Rogan believes the deal can solely assist usher in a wider vary of viewers.
“Via the roof,” Rogan mentioned on his podcast when requested if the brand new deal may assist develop MMA. “And it’s a brilliant good transfer for Paramount. What an awesome transfer to not simply have the UFC for seven years, however to have it free of charge. How a lot does it price a month? Ten bucks, let’s say it’s ten bucks. That’s loopy. That’s a $120 a yr, you may watch each UFC pay-per-view? Two UFC pay-per-views is, like, 140 bucks, proper? Isn’t it? Aren’t they, like, $70? So that you get all of them. The whole lot’s free? That’s unimaginable. This sport goes to go f*cking hypernova.
It isn’t but identified if Paramount will enhance the price of its highest subscription tier within the wake of the multi-billion greenback deal, or if it can introduce a brand new tier particularly to deal with the inflow of UFC followers trying out the Paramount+ service for the primary time. The deal begins on Jan. 1 of subsequent yr, signaling the tip of the UFC’s broadcasting partnership with ESPN that started in 2019.
ESPN’s relationship with the UFC noticed them air the group’s occasions on their tv community in addition to the ESPN+ streaming service, with pay-per-views completely accessible for buy by way of ESPN+. The sports activities information large additionally supplied wall-to-wall protection of UFC occasions and employed ex-fighters comparable to Daniel Cormier as on-screen pundits, however it’s unclear how the protection would possibly change now that UFC has moved on to a brand new broadcast deal.
In an ideal world, Rogan want to see ESPN and UFC can proceed to work collectively to develop MMA.
“I’m type of bummed out, and I hope they don’t lose the connection that they’d with ESPN with all their MMA reveals,” Rogan mentioned. “I hope they don’t go, like, ‘F*ck them. They went to Paramount.’ I hope it’s a mutually useful factor, just like the UFC at the least does some content material nonetheless on ESPN, as a result of I believe that’s additionally a giant think about pulling individuals from informal viewers that watch different sports activities that may sometimes watch a UFC battle after which they see, like, Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway and so they’re like, ‘Holy shit.’ After which they’re hooked. Having that protection on SportsCenter, that shit’s large. Having these post-fight reveals on ESPN+, that shit is big for the true dorks like me, that’s large.”
