Stephen Espinoza: Showtime interested in UFC broadcast deal when FOX contract is up

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La Paix

Fuck this place
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When WME-IMG purchased the UFC for more than $4 billion last year, one of the biggest reasons was a potential windfall in the UFC’s next television deal. Live sports is premium content and the UFC generates hours of it on a nearly weekly basis.

When the promotion’s deal with FOX is up at the end of next year, there are expected to be a number of suitors. Count Showtime as one of them, according to network executive Stephen Espinoza.

Espinoza told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour that Showtime would certainly reach out to the UFC about being one of its broadcast partners. Like the NBA or NFL, the UFC could end up on multiple networks after the Fox deal expires. Showtime could throw its name (and a great deal of money) in the hat to be one.

Stephen Espinoza: Showtime interested in UFC broadcast deal when FOX contract is up
 
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Robbie Hart

All Biden Voters Are Mindless Sheep
Feb 13, 2015
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I will be unhappy as it will be difficult, I would imagine, for bt sport to work out a deal to give me this access for free.

I will not pay for fights beyond what I already pay.
 

Sheepdog

Protecting America from excessive stool loitering
Dec 1, 2015
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Would this be a good thing or a bad thing for the average fan?
Look at the Fox ratings compared to Spike - a lot of that is from the product being moved around multiple channels. The drop was big and almost immediate - it can't be attributed to a sudden decline in the popularity of the sport. And at least that's the same network and group of channels that will tell the audience what's on. It will be made much worse if it is on multiple networks.

It might be a smart short-term move by WME, but it would be shit for the sport.
 

Team Bisping

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I will be unhappy as it will be difficult, I would imagine, for bt sport to work out a deal to give me this access for free.

I will not pay for fights beyond what I already pay.
i imagine they will work something out, cutting out the UK market when you got many high level European fighters (3 current champions) would be bad for business.
 

KWingJitsu

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Nov 15, 2015
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I will be unhappy as it will be difficult, I would imagine, for bt sport to work out a deal to give me this access for free.

I will not pay for fights beyond what I already pay.
Aww.. Then do what I did & move to Amurica!
 

TalkingLeaf

Well-Known Member
Nov 4, 2015
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I don't like the idea of multiple channels hosting UFC, especially if one is a pay channel.

But fox sports one can suck it. I dvr'd 215's undercard and got blessed with the first hour being golf. buncha rookies on that channel.
 

The EZ Life

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Aug 6, 2015
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I don't like the idea of multiple channels hosting UFC, especially if one is a pay channel.

But fox sports one can suck it. I dvr'd 215's undercard and got blessed with the first hour being golf. buncha rookies on that channel.
always set it to record for like 30min-1hr after show is over....

this is important in sports especially. sometimes games go into overtime and go past the scheduled time.. sometimes they start late... i imagine in mma every fight might go the full distance and possibly go past the programs scheduled time too. although usually they account for that and have a longer scheduled tv time
 

Robbie Hart

All Biden Voters Are Mindless Sheep
Feb 13, 2015
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always set it to record for like 30min-1hr after show is over....

this is important in sports especially. sometimes games go into overtime and go past the scheduled time.. sometimes they start late... i imagine in mma every fight might go the full distance and possibly go past the programs scheduled time too. although usually they account for that and have a longer scheduled tv time
Very important with college football and baseball playoffs........they always fuck the timings up
 

TalkingLeaf

Well-Known Member
Nov 4, 2015
443
959
always set it to record for like 30min-1hr after show is over....

this is important in sports especially. sometimes games go into overtime and go past the scheduled time.. sometimes they start late... i imagine in mma every fight might go the full distance and possibly go past the programs scheduled time too. although usually they account for that and have a longer scheduled tv time
I usually do that except I don't bother doing it with undercard fights leading into a UFC ppv. They always stop on time so people will order the ppv.

In this instance it was me missing the beginning fights since fox sports showed golf while the UFC probably played on fox sports 2 until golf was over.

Maybe the lesson is to record fox sports 2 as well as the UFC event. Regardless, your advice is sound.
 

Haulport

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Maybe gus will come back!!!!!!!



God I hope so!!!!