Despite significant interest from Sky Sports, the UFC has opted to renew its deal with BT Sport – which is available only on the eir Sport (formerly Setanta Sports) pack in Ireland – until the end of 2018.
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BT Sport will now televise and stream every live UFC event across the globe after extending its hugely successful broadcast rights partnership with the company. “Since then we have both come a long way and I’m very happy to announce today that we will continue to grow the sport with even more exclusive UFC action live on BT Sport”.
So, UK fans can look forward to watching all UFC’s pay-per-view events, UFC On FOX, UFC Fight Night and UFC Fight Pass events main card and prelims live on BT Sport. McGregor was embroiled in controversy recently after his Budweiser ad was banned by the ASAI.
The announcement comes ahead of the highly anticipated rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in Las Vegas.
The next event to be shown on BT Sport will be UFC 201 this weekend, which is headlined by Robbie Lawler’s welterweight title defence against Tyron Woodley. And it allows BT Sport to air programs that are shown in the United States, The Ultimate Fighter, Ultimate Insider and UFC Countdown as well as any new programming UFC produces in the future.
The good news for UFC fans who are existing subscribers to the eir Sport pack is that they’ll continue to have access to the organisation’s content.
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“There is no doubt that initial partnership with BT Sport placed UFC and the sport of MMA in front of an engaged audience, and helped to grow the sport in the UK & Ireland”, James Elliot, General Manager and Vice President UFC EMEA, said in the press release. “The potential growth for both organisations is huge and we are delighted to be continuing our partnership and building something special”.
