Just as one broadcasting deal for Dana White’s combat sports empire got done, another one might be on its way.
It’s been noted that the UFC’s $7.7 billion deal with Paramount only includes the numbered UFC events and Fight Night cards — nothing for Dana White’s Contender Series, The Ultimate Fighter, Road to UFC, or Zuffa Boxing.
However, in a new interview with Sports Business Journal, White says that a broadcasting for Zuffa Boxing has been completed, just not announced yet.
“We’ll see how this plays out,” White simply stated.
Zuffa Boxing Broadcasting Deal To Be Announced, Could ESPN Be In Plans?
Sports Business Journal also made reference to a report from World Boxing News last week that ESPN, whose deal with the UFC ends in December, may be involved in broadcasting Zuffa Boxing.
ESPN’s broadcasting deal with Top Rank Boxing concluded at the end of July, and World Boxing News suggested ESPN looked at a potential deal with Zuffa Boxing as a “trade” of sorts.
Top Rank Boxing’s end on ESPN means there is no boxing on any American television broadcast or cable channel for the first time in 80+ years.
Zuffa Boxing and its parent company, TKO, also parent company of the UFC and WWE, have also been a key supporter of the much-debated Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. The act would allow for fighters to pursue opportunities with UBOs — which Zuffa Boxing would be, where the promoters can award their own championships, host their own events, and rank their own fighters — as opposed to the major sanctioning alphabet organizations.
White’s UFC signed a new U.S. broadcasting deal with Paramount on August 11, bringing 43 UFC events — 13 numbered cards and 30 UFC Fight Night cards — to Paramount+, with certain numbered cards airing on the linear CBS channel.
