Remember when UFC 313’s PPV sales took a major hit because ESPN’s platform completely broke down? Fans couldn’t even buy the event, and that chaos sparked a serious rift between the UFC and ESPN. Neither Dana White nor the ESPN execs were happy, and tensions have been simmering ever since. Now, with the exclusive broadcasting deal nearing its expiration, updates have been scarce. While Dana White remains bullish on his ESPN partnership, he’s also exploring new options. However, a recent complaint from an insider may have just thrown a wrench into everything we thought we knew about the future of that deal.

The promotion is no longer happy with what ESPN has become. There was a time when the network was a perfect partner for the UFC, but things have changed drastically. You might already be aware of the glitches that happened during UFC 313 and UFC 304, but did you know this? Last month, ESPN+ removed the entire UFC fight library from its application, including the events leading up to UFC 308. The entity later expressed that this was due to a glitch, but still, the timing of the incident raised eyebrows from the MMA community.

Fast forward to June, ESPN may have messed up once again, as the UFC Atlanta live broadcast appears to have been sabotaged by the glitchy ESPN app. Popular MMA journalist Damon Martin even took to his X handle to voice concerns over the substandard way the sports broadcaster is handling the platform. “I think it’s possible ESPN might be the worst TV app in the history of TV apps. Back to rewind 10 seconds, and the whole event just starts over. Seriously despise this app.” 

Coming from such a prominent figure, this is not good news for either the UFC or ESPN, especially since they are still in discussions regarding the latest broadcasting deal. With the exclusive window having closed back in April, several other contenders for the broadcasting rights have emerged, including Amazon, Netflix, and even Warner Bros.

The $1.5 billion deal that the UFC signed with ESPN appears to be coming to an end, as recent updates point to an exit from ESPN. Amidst the chaos, let’s have a look at what the fans are up to.

Fans rip apart ESPN as the broadcasting deal is yet to be signed by Dana White

Taking to the comment section, fans of the sport agreed with what Martin experienced. One of the biggest MMA pages, MMA Uncensored, even claimed that their experience was worse, “Mine is same, but worse.”

Furthermore, doubling down on those statements, another social media user expressed, “UFC stopped playing last night on my ESPN app. I had to watch it through Hulu.” The top brass of the promotion is not happy with the fiasco, but ESPN’s top management is also displeased with the UFC, as they believe they did not receive the number of pay-per-view buys that the promotion had promised back in 2019, when they signed a $1.5 billion deal for five years.

Moreover, another fan took a sigh of relief, “Glad to know it’s not just me. I’m always terrified to pause.”

One user straight out called out lambasted the UFC management for their partnership deal, “The whole thing is a disaster. Fight times. Cost value proposition. I miss Spike TV. Treated me like a fan. Didn’t feel squeezed for every dime, and to keep the hours of Count Dracula.” It must be noted that the promotion, as well as ESPN, charges $79.99 for a single PPV event in 2025. Since 2019, the prices for such PPV events have increased from $59.99 to $79.99, making it a bit inaccessible for most the fans.

More bad news for Dana White and the UFC, as fans have now abandoned the ESPN app altogether. “Had to switch midfight from ESPN app to YouTube TV, which is a night and day difference. Gonna cancel the ESPN app until La Liga kicks off again.”

The last nail in the coffin for ESPN was the delay in ads, which made it difficult for the MMA community to witness the fight, as one fan writes, “The Ads were lagging, which was causing me to get way behind the live feed, so I kept restarting the feed to stay live. It’s such a bad app.”

After securing a $300 million-a-year deal back in 2019, the UFC CEO remains bullish on the promotion’s growth, reportedly demanding a massive $1 billion annually from their next broadcasting partner. However, ESPN appears uninterested in renewing the deal under those terms, while other potential contenders—such as Amazon, Warner Bros., and Netflix—are merely observing from a distance. As time passes, the UFC will need to strike a deal soon before things start to go downhill.