The UFC is free to barter with any potential accomplice as talks warmth up for the corporate’s subsequent broadcast rights deal however is Netflix already out of the working?
As a seven-year cope with ESPN involves an finish on the shut of 2025, the UFC is reportedly in search of round $1 billion per 12 months with the brand new broadcast rights deal. With WWE inking a large 5 12 months, $10 billion contract to convey Monday Night time Uncooked to Netflix, there was instant hypothesis that the UFC would possibly do the identical contemplating they’re each owned by TKO Group Holdings.
That stated, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos was requested in regards to the firm’s curiosity in UFC or different sports activities rights accessible proper now comparable to Main League Baseball however he appeared to double down on the streaming service staying principally centered on one-off occasions somewhat than investing in a complete broadcast rights package deal.
“I’m not going to touch upon any of these particular alternatives at the moment,” Sarandos stated throughout a Netflix buyers’ name when requested about UFC and different sports activities properties. “However I’ll steer you again to the letter to indicate you that our reside occasion technique is unchanged. We stay actually centered on the massive, breakthrough occasions. Our audiences love them.
“So something we chase within the occasion area or the sports activities area is a deal that must make financial sense as effectively. Reside is a comparatively small a part of our content material spend. We’ve got about 200 billion view hours so small relative to view hours, too. However that stated, all viewing is just not equal. What now we have seen with reside is that this very outsized positives round dialog and acquisition and we suspect retention. We’re actually excited to maintain constructing on that.”
The “massive, breakthrough occasions” previously have included the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson that ended up producing greater than 235 million watch hours, which truly crushed a pair of NFL video games proven on Christmas Day this previous 12 months.
Netflix additionally benefitted from The Roast of Tom Brady, which was a one-night reside occasion the place comedians, former teammates and even UFC CEO Dana White poked enjoyable on the NFL legend.
Subsequent up for Netflix is a boxing rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano in July from Madison Sq. Backyard in New York. Until technique modifications, Sarandos appeared to trace that Netflix stays extra concerned about these kind of occasions somewhat than a much bigger funding in a complete sports activities rights package deal.
“We’ve got the Taylor-Serrano struggle in July. That’s a rematch from once they fought the primary time on the [Mike] Tyson-[Jake] Paul struggle night time. It was probably the most watched girls’s sporting occasion in U.S. historical past,” Sarandos stated. “So there’s a number of pleasure on that. The NFL, after all, is a good property. We’re completely satisfied to have the Christmas day video games that we opted into the second NFL recreation for Christmas day so we’ll be presenting all-day soccer once more on Dec. 25, 2025. Actually thrilling.
“Then in the present day our reside adventures have all been primarily within the U.S. however we intend to develop the aptitude to do it around the globe within the years forward. More than happy with the progress up to now and excited in regards to the future for reside sports activities and non-sports.”
One of many largest obstacles that has saved Netflix from making a significant funding in reside sports activities beforehand has come all the way down to the season-long format, which might lead to subscribers paying for a service for a number of months however then dropping off once more when a season ends.
That’s not a priority with the UFC because the promotion boasts over 40 occasions per 12 months together with the marquee pay-per-view playing cards, which drive an enormous quantity of curiosity on a month-to-month foundation.
As a lot as Sarandos downplayed Netflix getting too deeply concerned within the sports activities rights packages, the corporate did make that vast funding in WWE programming that just about nobody noticed coming on the time it occurred.
May that even be the case with Netflix probably working with the UFC? Solely time will inform.
