UFC digital channel to launch by early January

The Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts event promoter has confirmed plans to launch a new subscription-based digital channel in the US by early January, according to the USA Today news service.

The channel will feature live and on-demand programming, including more than a dozen live fight cards per year, beginning with the UFC Fight Night 34 event on January 4 in Singapore.

The new channel, which will provide a range of other UFC programming, will “replace and enhance” the UFC’s current digital platform, UFC.tv.

Subscription fee details were not disclosed, but further plans will be announced later this month.

“The UFC's expansion into international markets, and the extended calendar of events, is certainly part of the reason it makes sense to launch the digital network in 2014,” UFC co-owner and chief executive Lorenzo Fertitta said.