TV5 snaps up UFC rights in Philippines

Commercial broadcaster TV5 has acquired rights in the Philippines for the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series.

Coverage will be shown via TV5’s sports channel, Hyper, from January 2016.

Hyper will broadcast fight cards and support programming from the UFC following TV5’s sublicensing rights deal with commercial broadcaster ABS-CBN.

Hyper already shows boxing and kickboxing programming.

The decision of ABS-CBN to sell on the rights came after the broadcaster announced that it would be closing Balls Channel at the end of this year.