Pay-television broadcaster Sony Pictures Networks India has extended an exclusive rights deal for coverage of the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series.
The exact length of the new agreement was not disclosed, but it will run until 2023.
The rights will be exploited on the broadcaster’s Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD channels, as well as the video-on-demand service SonyLIV.
Live coverage of UFC events, including Fight Nights and pay-per-view events, will be available, as well as highlights, historic bouts, preview shows and interviews.
The broadcaster’s head of distribution, sports business and chief revenue officer, Rajesh Kaul, said that it had been necessary to schedule “live events and non-live content on the Sony Ten 2 channels” in order to satisfy growing demand for the UFC.
“Over the past few years, we have seen a steady growth in consumption of the sport and around 100 million viewers watched UFC on Indian television in 2018,” Kaul added.