With the UFC’s broadcasting deal with ESPN heading to an end in 2025, Dana White has to make some plans to put the MMA promotion back on TV. But there’s a hurdle standing in his way. It is indeed the controversial fallout of Shaquille O’Neal featuring ‘NBA on TNT’. No doubt, White was keen on avoiding such a fiasco. However, that didn’t stop the UFC head honcho from chasing after the trend set by the NBA and the NFL. According to White, the UFC might just end up on more than one platform. Let’s see what the UFC CEO had to say.

Currently, the UFC is in a partnership with ESPN. The deal began in 2018 with a value of $1.5 billion. Needless to say, this partnership played a major role in bringing the UFC to great popularity. However, with the deal going to lapse in the next year, White needs to get himself a new broadcasting partner. Without a doubt, many fight fans questioned White’s decision to stick with just one broadcaster 7 years ago. But things might just be different in the coming years.

Despite being wary of the controversial split of NBA and TNT, the UFC head honcho hinted at following the trend set by the basketball league and expressed that there were chances of the UFC appearing on multiple channels. White said, “Our rights deal is going to be a big deal coming up here. Who knows? We could end up like the NBA and the NFL where we end up on multiple channels instead of just one. … It’s all moving and changing so quickly.”

The Ultimate Fighting Championship features MMA on numerous levels and includes Dana White’s Contender Series, The Ultimate Fighter series, Fight Nights, and the fan-favorite PPVs. To broadcast all these effectively, the organization has to make use of multiple platforms like the NBA and NFL already do. White continued, “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.”

This decision of White’s was previously backed by Mark Shapiro, the president of the TKO Group Holdings. The MMA promotion’s stakeholders are truly worried about the future of the organization with the TV scenario. But is shaking hands with multiple partners the right answer?

UFC CEO’s decision gets the TKO Group Holdings’ president’s backing

On a financial call, Shapiro voiced, “As far as multiple partners, one partner, we’ll see what happens when we get there… We’re not looking to get away from them. We’re not looking to reduce our commitments, but at the same time, we have a window, we’ll listen, we’ll talk, and we’ll do what’s in the best interests of the UFC going forward.” 

Shapiro thought of the UFC as a premium sports property, just like the NBA. With the rising demand for live streaming of such premium sports, the TKO Group Holdings’ president seemed pretty confident about the growth of the organization shortly. But whether it will be a single broadcasting partner or more, is something that the stakeholders are yet to decide. No doubt, the final verdict will be taken keeping the best interest of the UFC in mind.

Do you want UFC to stream on multiple TV channels? Let us know what you think of White’s stance on the TV deal in the comments down below.