Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
Bellator MMA given a fighting chance in the UK with Sky, Channel 5 deals
Bellator MMA has been waiting years for a consistent broadcast deal in the UK and Ireland. Now two have arrived at once
Sky acquires rights in UK & Ireland to Bellator MMA
MMA promotion Bellator’s US-based events will be shown on Sky in the UK, adding to a deal for Europe-based events with Channel 5.
ESPN pays up for UFC rights in Australia and NZ; UFC hoping for pay-per-view boom
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has secured a good increase for its media rights across Australia and New Zealand, in a new five-year deal with ESPN
ESPN+ gains 568,000 new subscribers for first UFC event
The ESPN+ streaming service gained 568,000 new subscribers on Friday and Saturday combined – and over 525,000 on Saturday alone – directly from the onset of ESPN's new UFC rights deal.
Powerful partners ease UFC’s entry into Russia; increase in Netherlands with Veronica
The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s new three-year deal in Russia and the CIS states will see the creation of a new pay-television channel, mostly thanks to the profile of undefeated lightweight champion K...
O2 TV picks up rights to One Championship
Czech pay-television broadcaster O2 TV has bolstered its mixed martial arts portfolio, announcing a new media-rights deal for Singapore-based promotion One Championship
One Championship strikes TV Tokyo deal
Asian MMA promotion ONE Championship has signed a multi-year media-rights deal with Japanese free-to-air broadcaster TV Tokyo.
The agreement is exclusive and covers all ONE Championship content
One Championship lines up US rights deal
Asian mixed martial arts promotion the One Championship has reportedly agreed a US rights deal with the Turner Sports division of media company Turner.
ESPN
UFC’s UK deal with Eleven collapses as rights head back to BT
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has triggered an exit clause in its contract with Eleven Sports in the UK and will return to BT Sport from 2019, SportBusiness Media understands.
Fight Sports signs carriage deal with Orange Spain
Fight Sports, the linear sports channel and digital service, has agreed a carriage deal in Spain with telco operator Orange
Sky Deutschland listens to the demand of subscribers: bring back Formula One
Pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland has brought back the Formula One motor racing championship to its platform in Germany, Austria and Switzerland after a one-year absence that caused a customer...
UFC limits the damage with new Fox deal in tough Filipino market
The value of Ultimate Fighting Championship rights has fallen in the Philippines, but local sources say the result is still a good one for the promotion and its owner, IMG, given current market dynamics
Premier League finds life tough in Pacific Islands and NZ, as competition dries up
Telco Digicel has renewed its Premier League rights in the Pacific Islands at a flat fee