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  Debate

Debate

Can Dana White's $111 billion TV deal really put UFC on par with the NFL?

Dana White is not just gearing up to impress fans this weekend with his one-and-done UFC 306, but also some important people who’d play a key role in the promotion’s future. He recently addressed the current broadcast deal with ESPN, which is nearing its end soon, hinting that he’s looking to go big like the NFL and NBA.

“It’s gonna be interesting how this plays out. I mean, we could end up being like the NFL and other sports where we could be on multiple platforms or just one. I don’t know how that gonna play out,” Dana White told ‘Bloomberg’. He’d further added that some key media personalities and dignitaries will be attending UFC 306 to get a taste of the premiere MMA promotion in the world.

“But yeah, we’re in those talks now. To be honest with you, a lot of those potential media people will be at the Sphere this weekend,” Dan White added. What do you think Dana White will do? It’s an incredibly high bar he’s set, talking about the NFL-like TV deal since the football league’s current deal, valued at $111 billion, eclipses the UFC’s $1.5 billion deal with ESPN by a large margin.

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Meanwhile, the urge to land a media rights deal like the NFL is not an idea that came to Dana White overnight. In fact, the 55-year-old is looking to see what a new deal with ESPN would look like but is also open to other networks as well.

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Dana White previously mentioned different networks for different fighters

The UFC has grown to become home to a number of fighters – some elite, some rising stars, and some prospects. Given the variety of the current roster, Dana White believes that a multiple-network TV deal could help fighters gain more attention and exposure to a wider audience. Shows like Fight Nights, Contender Series, and PPVs could be broadcast on separate platforms.

What’s your perspective on:

Can Dana White's $111 billion TV deal really put UFC on par with the NFL?

Have an interesting take?

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“I could definitely see [the UFC on multiple networks]. … We have a lot of different levels of fights, whether it’s Contender Series, Fight Nights, or pay-per-views. They could end up on multiple platforms,” Dana White told CNBC over a month ago. The current situation for American viewers is to pay for an ESPN+ subscription to find all kinds of UFC content. So the real question is – could spreading content across various platforms prove problematic for White?

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The UFC has hopped across several platforms in the past. They were on Paramount Network, which was formerly known as Spike TV, and then they jumped ship to FOX before landing on ESPN’s platform. What do you think will be the next course for UFC’s broadcast right? Drop your comments below.