Official UFC on ESPN in UK and Ireland

A previously rumored deal between the UFC and ESPN that will keep the world's top MMA organization on airwaves in the U.K. and Ireland was made official today.

The UFC and ESPN have agreed to a multi-year deal, though details of the partnership were not disclosed.

The UFC lost its previous U.K. broadcast partner, Setanta Sports, after the financial collapse of the troubled station in June.

The ESPN coverage, which airs on a region-specific version of the worldwide leader in sports, kicks off with next week's UFC 101 event, which takes place Aug. 8 in Philadelphia.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/15679/ufc-lands-on-espn-in-u-k-and-ireland-broadcasts-begin-with-next-weeks-ufc-101-event.mma

Does that mean they get the PPVs for free? Is this the primary ESPN channel over there or is this on a ESPN2 kind of thing or what?

Yeah I kenw it was just for UK.

OUSOONERSOU wrote:

Does that mean they get the PPVs for free? Is this the primary ESPN channel over there or is this on a ESPN2 kind of thing or what?

I think they always have

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/8/10/2356306/over-the-past-two-years-espn-has-shown-ufc-main-events-preliminary

Over the past two years, ESPN has shown UFC main events &
preliminary bouts for our viewers & fans of the sport. We have
recently been informed that we are not able to continue to show some
live UFC content on our channel. We & the UFC are working to find a
solution to this as we understand your concerns. ESPN continues to
televise UFC main events and provides coverage of UFC and mixed martial
arts online at ESPN.co.uk & ESPN.com, & on TV via MMA Live.

Thanks for your patience.

A message from ESPN UK
regarding the UFC's non-ppv content. This means that currently UFC on
Versus, UFC Fight Nights and the upcoming TUF 14 and the Finale do not
have a UK broadcasting home. The reason's for this are not known at this
time.

i bet the reason is money money money

killerofchicken wrote:

i bet the reason is money money money

I'm going to blame the SF buyout.

OU wrote:

killerofchicken wrote:

i bet the reason is money money money

I'm going to blame the SF buyout.

it's zuffas fault

OU wrote:

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/8/10/2356306/over-the-past-two-years-espn-has-shown-ufc-main-events-preliminary

Over the past two years, ESPN has shown UFC main events &
preliminary bouts for our viewers & fans of the sport. We have
recently been informed that we are not able to continue to show some
live UFC content on our channel. We & the UFC are working to find a
solution to this as we understand your concerns. ESPN continues to
televise UFC main events and provides coverage of UFC and mixed martial
arts online at ESPN.co.uk & ESPN.com, & on TV via MMA Live.

Thanks for your patience.

A message from ESPN UK
regarding the UFC's non-ppv content. This means that currently UFC on
Versus, UFC Fight Nights and the upcoming TUF 14 and the Finale do not
have a UK broadcasting home. The reason's for this are not known at this
time.

WTF ?????????????????????

The only reason I have ESPN is to watch the UFC, MMA Live and occasionally Friday Night Fights.

Don't you guys get PPVs for free over there? Or do you have to pay, and they are just broadcasted on ESPN UK?

I don't get how ESPN UK could even get other channel's content on their station? Not highlights, but live feeds.

bobbitt15 wrote:

Don't you guys get PPVs for free over there? Or do you have to pay, and they are just broadcasted on ESPN UK?

All of the UFC PPV main events are shown on ESPN UK. The primary ESPN Channel, not some ESPN 2 equivalent. I guess up until now they also got the SPIKE and VS cards on ESPN but atleast for now that will stop.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/24780/ufc-on-versus-5-gets-last-minute-tv-partner-in-u-k-with-premier-sports-tv.mma
Sunday's UFC on Versus 5 event will air live in the U.K. after all.

UFC officials today announced that Premier Sports TV channel 433 will show the event live.

Officials from the UFC's usual TV outlet – the premium-cable channel
ESPN UK – recently announced they won't be carrying the Aug. 14 event,
and other future events could be affected. (ESPN UK doesn't have the
rights to air Versus events and must negotiated them on an
event-by-event basis.)

Prior to the addition of Premier Sports TV, which will air the event in
free-view mode, UFC officials planned to stream the entire card in the
U.K. via UFC.tv. Premier Sports is available on the Sky platform, though
Virgin and Freeview customers still will need to use the free UFC.tv.
stream as an alternative since they don't have access to Premier Sports.

UFC on Versus 5 takes place this Sunday at Milwaukee's Bradley Center
with a welterweight headliner between British slugger Dan Hardy (23-9
MMA, 4-3 UFC) and American striker Chris Lytle (30-18-5 MMA, 9-10 UFC).
The event's main card airs live in the U.S. on Versus.

The event's main card airs in the U.K. beginning at 2 a.m. (Monday
morning) on Premier Sports. As with U.S. viewers, U.K. fans can watch
the prelims on a Facebook stream prior to the TV broadcast.

bobbitt15 wrote:

Don't you guys get PPVs for free over there? Or do you have to pay, and they are just broadcasted on ESPN UK?

They're kind of free, you pay a monthly subscription to get ESPN.

Some UFC highlights get broadcast on channel five but they're sporadic and inconsistent.

OU wrote:

http://mmajunkie.com/news/24780/ufc-on-versus-5-gets-last-minute-tv-partner-in-u-k-with-premier-sports-tv.mma
Sunday's UFC on Versus 5 event will air live in the U.K. after all.

UFC officials today announced that Premier Sports TV channel 433 will show the event live.

Officials from the UFC's usual TV outlet – the premium-cable channel
ESPN UK – recently announced they won't be carrying the Aug. 14 event,
and other future events could be affected. (ESPN UK doesn't have the
rights to air Versus events and must negotiated them on an
event-by-event basis.)

Prior to the addition of Premier Sports TV, which will air the event in
free-view mode, UFC officials planned to stream the entire card in the
U.K. via UFC.tv. Premier Sports is available on the Sky platform, though
Virgin and Freeview customers still will need to use the free UFC.tv.
stream as an alternative since they don't have access to Premier Sports.

UFC on Versus 5 takes place this Sunday at Milwaukee's Bradley Center
with a welterweight headliner between British slugger Dan Hardy (23-9
MMA, 4-3 UFC) and American striker Chris Lytle (30-18-5 MMA, 9-10 UFC).
The event's main card airs live in the U.S. on Versus.

The event's main card airs in the U.K. beginning at 2 a.m. (Monday
morning) on Premier Sports. As with U.S. viewers, U.K. fans can watch
the prelims on a Facebook stream prior to the TV broadcast.

LAME, lame, lame lame !!!!!!!!!!!!

Premier sports is a crappy ppv channel. Zuffa should have tried to get the card on Sky Sports.

You still get it for free.

OU wrote:

You still get it for free.

Who knows for how long. I hope they don't take the UFC to a PPV channel after the contract expires next August.

Ali wrote:

OU wrote:

You still get it for free.

Who knows for how long. I hope they don't take the UFC to a PPV channel after the contract expires next August.

you know its coming

killerofchicken wrote:

Ali wrote:

OU wrote:

You still get it for free.

Who knows for how long. I hope they don't take the UFC to a PPV channel after the contract expires next August.

you know its coming

That would be disastrous move, nobody over here is going to continuously fork out cash each month for cards that start at 2am on a channel that doesn't even have HD.

They need to keep the UFC on ESPN or move it to Sky Sports.

Sorry man, you won't get sympathy from us. We have to pay $44.95 for every PPV.

OU wrote:

Sorry man, you won't get sympathy from us. We have to pay $44.95 for every PPV.

I never asked for it.

Ali wrote:

OU wrote:

Sorry man, you won't get sympathy from us. We have to pay $44.95 for every PPV.

I never asked for it.

LOL I'm just saying. Welcome to our world. You can be part of the find-a-stream group lol

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/8/12/2359734/how-to-watch-ufc-on-versus-5-in-the-uk


ALI^^^^ click here

killerofchicken wrote:

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/8/12/2359734/how-to-watch-ufc-on-versus-5-in-the-uk


ALI^^^^ click here

Thanks killer, It's been added to my planner.