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Paramount buys UFC rights for $7.7 billion, ending PPV events
Paramount just inked a deal with UFC for exclusive rights to air fights. The $7.7 billion contract is good for seven years.
Meta adds UFC CEO and Trump booster Dana White to its board
Meta is appointing Dana White, the CEO of UFC, to its board. Mark Zuckerberg is a fighting fan, but the addition seems to be more about working with the Trump Administration.
The NBA, NFL and UFC want instantaneous DMCA takedowns
Three major American sports leagues want to speed up Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedowns. In a letter posted and reported by TorrentFreak (via The Verge), the UFC, NBA and NFL urged the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to make the removal process for illegal livestreams nearly instantaneous. The organizations say the global sports industry is losing up to $28 billion from fans watching pirated live feeds instead of paid ones.
Meta is launching a UFC-themed VR experience in Horizon Worlds
Meta has teamed up with UFC to bring live mixed martial arts (MMA) in VR to Horizon Worlds.
UFC pay-per-view events are now available through ESPN+ on Hulu
Starting today, you can purchase and watch UFC pay-per-view events directly through Hulu.
TikTok will offer behind-the-scenes UFC livestreams
TikTok will work with the UFC to produce and livestream exclusive weekly content, including behind-the-scenes footage, pre- and post-fight interviews and other coverage.
The ESPN+ annual subscription is going up by $10
UFC pay-per-views will also cost $5 more on the streaming service.
EA pulls ads from 'UFC 4' replays after widespread complaints
EA has removed ads from 'UFC 4' replays and overlays after gamers complained they were disruptive.
EA's 'UFC 4' focuses on your fighter's backstory
EA's 'UFC 4' will revamp your backstory and fighting mechanics when the game arrives on August 14th.
UFC pay-per-view events will be available through ESPN+
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and ESPN announced today that UFC pay-per-view fights will be available exclusively to US audiences through ESPN+. The agreement will go into effect starting April 13th for UFC 236, featuring a rematch between lightweights Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier, and will run through 2025.
ESPN+ tops 2 million subscribers following first UFC Fight Night
There doesn't seem to be much that can stop entertainment juggernaut built by Disney, especially now that the company is getting into "combat sports content." After inking a five-year, $1.5 billion blockbuster deal with the UFC last May, Disney and its streaming subsidiary ESPN+ have already begun reaping the rewards, according to company reps during the quarterly earnings call on Tuesday.
ESPN+ will stream exclusive UFC fights next year
Starting next year, ESPN's subscription streaming service ESPN+ will host a variety of UFC content including events, pre- and post-event shows and original series. ESPN announced the multi-year deal this week and it will go into effect in January. "UFC is a premier global sports property with legions of incredibly avid fans," ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. "We are excited to be able to bring their world-class events and content to ESPN+ and the ESPN networks."
Amazon now streams UFC pay-per-view fights
Amazon really isn't shy about its ambitions for live sports streaming. The tech firm is now selling access to pay-per-view UFC matches, starting with the March 3rd bout between Cris Cyborg and Yana Kunitskaya. If you're willing to drop $65, you can watch fights on any device that can play Prime Video -- although you won't need a Prime subscription. You won't need a TV subscription or a UFC Fight Pass, either.
How to stream a paid UFC fight: pretend it’s a video game
Here's a fun one to start your week: On Saturday night, a Twitch streamer broadcasted the entirety of UFC 218 and, to skirt DMCA takedowns, he pantomimed like he was playing the UFC 3 video game. Yup, he streamed the mixed martial arts pay-per-view from Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit across his various social channels. AJ Lester went so far as to green-screen himself into the lower right corner of the broadcast, wear a headset and hold a (powered off) DualShock 4 for the entire fight. You can hear him twiddling the analog sticks and watch him play to the camera in the now-viral clip below.
EA’s ‘UFC 3’ beta is live this weekend on Xbox One and PS4
Earlier this month, EA revealed its third big UFC game, which brings an improved career mode and quickplay options to the franchise. Though UFC 3 is set to launch on February 2nd, console owners can get an early look this weekend: The beta is live for Xbox One and PS4 owners through 11:59pm on Monday, December 4th.
The UFC's big bet to keep fighters fighting
This article contains images of violence that may upset or offend. If you're curious about what the world's preeminent mixed martial arts competition is like but did not pay as much as several thousand dollars for Madison Square Garden seats last Saturday, here are some of the sights UFC 217 offered: Light heavyweight prelim bout. Corey Anderson's head hits the canvas with a resounding whump. The culprit: a crashing left kick to the jaw from a now-strutting Ovince Saint Preux. Each replay of the knockout garners a spontaneous "oh!" -- equal parts exhilaration and wincing -- from the mostly male, disproportionately swole, crowd of 18,000. M.O.P.'s "Ante Up" plays after the bout. Heavyweight prelim bout. "Elbow him in the face!" a man yells as Walt Harris of Alabama and Mark Godbeer of England face off. There's no decisive elbow, but the 6-foot-5-inch, 250-pound Harris does plant a solid -- and illegal -- knee into Godbeer's groin. As the Brit backs off, Harris sends a kick to his face. The ref stops the fight and Harris is disqualified. Women's strawweight title bout. Fiery champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk is dethroned in just over three minutes by Rose Namajunas, a lithe, quietly confident 5-foot-5 fighter with a buzz cut. Fighters often jockey for a dominant position over a grounded opponent from which to punch their head repeatedly -- known as "ground and pound" -- which can end a fight. In this case, Namajunas sinks Jedrzejczyk with a left hook, then pounces for a dozen or so punches to her defenseless skull until the champion surrenders. There were 11 fights in total; we haven't even gotten to the marquee event. Yet somehow, this was one of the less violent nights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's 24-year existence.
EA's 'UFC 3' takes the fight beyond the Octagon
EA has a penchant for sports games whose stories go beyond the actual match, and that now includes the UFC series. The publisher has unveiled UFC 3, and its centerpiece is a GOAT Career Mode where your choices outside the Octagon determine the fights you'll have inside. You have to make "promotional choices" to grow your fan base, generate hype and score big contracts. There's even a social networking element. You can be the quintessential smack-talker (ahem) or the calm-and-collected fighter who only proves themselves in the ring.
Demand for Mayweather-McGregor fight crashed pay-per-view servers
Did you pay for an expensive pay-per-view or streaming pass to watch the hyped-up boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, only to boil with rage as your access went down? You're far from alone. Numerous reports have revealed that servers across the US crashed or buckled under demand for the fight, creating outages serious enough that organizers delayed the fight to make sure people could tune in. Mayweather himself said that pay-per-view servers in California and Florida crashed, while Showtime and UFC failed to load, ran into login trouble and otherwise couldn't keep up with interest.
Sling TV adds pay-per-view events starting with UFC 214
SlingTV is taking another step toward replicating the traditional pay-TV experience: Offering pay-per-view events. If you're impatient, know that it starts this weekend with UFC 214, so you won't have too long to wait before testing it out for yourself.
GoPro is testing its 360 VR camera with select broadcasters
It may not be out yet, but GoPro's Fusion 360 VR camera will soon be used to capture UFC fights, news footage, and awards ceremonies. To showcase the device's 5k resolution capabilities, GoPro is trialling the Fusion with partners such as Fox Sports, the Golden State Warriors, and USA Today.