No Deal Between ESPN and UFC Still: But what about televising live fights? Skipper said it’s not likely to happen any time soon. ESPN already has a fairly full plate of sports programming, Skipper said, meaning ESPN would only want the absolute best UFC fights. And it’s hard to see how ESPN would benefit from taking its best fights off pay-per-view, where fights can generate upwards of $25 million in revenue.
Skipper also didn’t sound particularly interested in having MMA outside the UFC, saying, "We’ve talked to other MMA leagues, but UFC is by far the best."
Ultimately, Skipper says he liked what he saw at UFC 100 but that MMA fans who thought Skipper’s presence at UFC 100 signaled a future deal between ESPN and the UFC shouldn’t get too excited.
"Nothing is imminent," Skipper said. "I came away with a good impression, but don’t get your hopes up."
over 2 years ago
MMASuPreMaCy
23 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Dana Hints At A TV Deal Again...
When asked by MMAjunkie.com whether the event would fall to Spike TV or pay per view, White’s response was simple.
“Neither,” White said. “Wait and see boys.”
No ESPN, probably leaves HBO in the lead.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 27, 2009 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
"ESPN already has a fairly full plate of sports programming …"
Yeah, who would want to show MMA when you could show a rerun of the 2004 World Series of Poker for the 18,506th time?
Although detractors decry (MMA) as a brutal, bloody form of human cockfighting, aficionados know it is a brutal, bloody, totally fucking awesome form of human cockfighting. -The Onion
by The Kittitas Kid on Aug 27, 2009 7:53 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
From Another Post:
About 2 weeks ago a UFC guy emailed me and said "ESPN is dead. Think Fox is the leader."
We’ll see. So hard to know who is and isn’t in the loop at Zuffa.
by Michael Rome on Aug 27, 2009 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
agreed
Fox sports is best known (to me anyway) as the people who use robot football players and added the “blue streak” to hockey pucks.
Please, let’s keep them away from MMA. :P
Dana Now Targeting Showtime As Enemy
Yeah, Dana just said no to HBO and is now trying to make Showtime their enemy and not Strikeforce. Sigh, the drama.
“I’m not anti-Strikeforce, I don’t dislike those guys,” said White following the press conference. “I dislike Showtime, that’s who I dislike. I think they’re di-ks, I don’t like them. I don’t like their attitude; they think they are better than they really are. They’ve been second-rate at boxing, they’ve been second-rate at programming and now they think they are great at mixed martial arts and my fight is with them, not with Strikeforce.”
“They sucked at boxing, they got their a— kicked by HBO always at boxing yet they tried to stay in it,” said White. “They got their a— kicked by HBO in programming, but they’re still around and they’re going to get their a— kicked in mixed martial arts too, just not by HBO.”
Dana White, Personality #1:
“They have no money, no fighters. They’re a small-town show.” “Cung Le hasn’t defended the title since like 1997. Josh Thomson hasn’t defended the belt in like two years. Who’s their other champion? Alistair Overeem? He hasn’t defended the belt in like two years. It’s Strike-Farce. It’s a little regional show with no one in it.” (source)
.
“Strikeforce should have stayed the way they were.” … “If they want to fight me, we’re gonna fight. We know how that goes, and we know how it ends.”
Dana White, Personality #2:
"I’m not anti-Strikeforce, I don’t dislike those guys," said White following the press conference.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
