US pay-television provider Dish Network will not show the latest pay-per-view event from mixed martial arts series the Ultimate Fighting Championship this Saturday, with the two parties in talks over renewing their deal.
Statements from each of the UFC and Dish confirmed that an agreement could not be reached for UFC 186 at Montreal’s Bell Centre, which has been hit by a host of injury withdrawals from big-name fighters.
Both parties expressed their openness to collaborating on future UFC cards. According to the MMAJunkie website, Dish’s multi-year contract with the UFC ended on January 31 but it secured short-term agreements to broadcast UFC 184 and UFC 185.
The UFC said: “While all other providers in the U.S. have come to an agreement on renewal terms, Dish Network has elected not to renew its distribution agreement. We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached with Dish in the near future, but remain committed to ensuring that all fans have continued access to UFC events through multiple distribution options.”
UFC 186 remains available through the pay-per-view platforms of DirecTV, Xfinity, Verizon Fios and AT&T/UVerse, along with the organisation’s online channel UFC.tv.