Socko deal:
Fox signs Ultimate Fighting
Mixed martial arts will air on Fox and Fox-owned networks
By Bill Cromwell
Aug 19, 2011
Ultimate Fighting Championship continued its push to legitimacy with a major deal yesterday that calls for four events to air on Fox and others to air on Fox-owned cable networks.
The seven-year agreement will include the eventual migration of "The Ultimate Fighter," Spike's long-running hit reality show about wannabe UFC fighters, to FX.
Neither side would comment on the financial terms of the deal, but Sports Business Journal had reported earlier that UFC seeking a contract worth more than $100 million.
The deal represents a major step up in respectability for UFC, which has long hungered to be perceived as a major sports league along the lines of the National Hockey League or Major League Soccer.
In releases sent out yesterday, the ultimate fighting league seemed especially proud to be joining Fox, home to major sporting events such as the World Series and Daytona 500, apparently hoping the prestige will rub off on UFC as well.
Though mixed martial arts long had a shoddy reputation in the U.S. because of the lack of rules and exceptional violence, UFC has pushed hard to organize the sport and bring professional standards to bear on its fighters.
Fox will carry four fights each year, either in primetime or late night, with the first airing at 9 p.m. on Nov. 12.
FX will air six bouts each year, as well as "Ultimate Fighter," which begins its final season on Spike next month.
And Fuel TV will begin airing UFC-related programming in January, including "UFC Unleashed," "UFC Primetime," the "UFC Knockout" series and "Best of Pride."
Most UFC bouts are pay-per-view, but the company said yesterday that showing free fights on broadcast will be essential to broadening its audience.
Though this is UFC's first long-term broadcast contract, Fox isn't the first to air mixed martial arts. CBS aired a brief series of Strikeforce MMA fights last year.
The league was founded in 1993 and acquired by Zuffa, a sports promotion company, eight years later.
UFC says the median age of its viewers is 36. Current or recent league advertisers include Bud Light, Burger King, Bacardi, Microsoft and Harley Davidson.
|
|
|
