Dana White addresses new UFC TV deal as exclusive negotiating window with ESPN comes to an end 

UFC executives are preparing for a huge week after the exclusive negotiating window with ESPN comes to an end on Tuesday, which means potential suitors can start making a pitch at landing the broadcast rights for the next TV deal starting in 2026.

While TKO Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel is going to lead negotiations just like he’s done for the UFC for the past couple of broadcast deals — dating back before he even owned the company — UFC boss Dana White obviously has a vested interest in how this all plays out. To be clear, the exclusive negotiating window with ESPN coming to a close doesn’t mean the Disney-owned network can’t strike a new deal with the UFC but instead this just opens up the bidding for other networks and possible streaming partners to get involved.

“When the window opens, we’ll obviously start talking to lots of different people and we’ll see what the options are out there,” White said during the UFC 314 post-fight press conference. “We’ve said this every time. There could be a time when we end up on several different networks like all other sports do.

“I like ESPN. I’ve said it many times, we had a bit of a rocky start, which is normal in any relationship, but we’re in a great place with ESPN. If we re-sign with them or do not, I have nothing but great things to say about my time at ESPN.”

Speculation has run rampant about the UFC potentially splitting up the broadcast rights package among multiple outlets but there have been plenty of educated guesses that the promotion might just end up on a major streaming service like Netflix.

It’s no secret that Netflix signed a massive $5 billion, 10 year deal to land WWE’s flagship show Monday Night Raw and the professional wrestling outfit shares the same owners as the UFC. Add to that, Netflix executives have repeatedly cautioned against getting involved in the bidding for traditional sports because the season-long format just doesn’t fit the company’s programming needs.

That’s not a concern with the UFC because the promotion puts on cards year round and White knows his organization is going to work with any potential broadcast partner to give them exactly what they need.

“I don’t know [what the new deal will entail],” White said. “It depends on what ESPN or wherever else we go is looking for. Most of the times when you do these deals, you’re catering to what the network needs. Plus they’ll have other programming, other sports that they’re already committed to at certain times and seasons and whatever it may be. It always changes. It doesn’t matter to me.”

TKO Group Holdings president Mark Shapiro has said much the same whenever he’s addressed the UFC’s broadcast rights deal publicly. He’s also stated that the UFC is open to any number of possibilities with this new TV deal — and that includes the possibility that a broadcast partner pays enough to eliminate the need for pay-per-view events moving forward.

White obviously couldn’t say what would happen, especially with negotiations not really starting with other possible partners until Monday, but he didn’t seem opposed to the idea.

“We do what works for the network, what do they want to do?” White said. “Do they want to just put it on their air? Do they want to do pay-per-view? Do they want to put it behind a paywall? I don’t know any of those things. Tuesday, the window opens and we start talking to other networks and we’ll get more into that.”

As far as the price that the UFC wants for the new broadcast rights deal with rumors swirling that the company is seeking at least $1 billion per year — a massive increase from the current contract with ESPN averaging $300 million annually — White could only say “sounds good to me!”