Dana White’s broadcast partner celebrates epic night of ‘unrivalled greatness’ as UFC 300 breaks three records
UFC 300 delivered in every way imaginable.
MMA fans were buzzing after watching a historic night of fights at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and so was the UFC’s broadcast partner.
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On Tuesday, ESPN announced that UFC 300 broke three viewership records as fans tuned in from the very first fight of the night to watch Dana White’s latest landmark show.
The sporting powerhouse revealed a new record had been set for the most-watched UFC pay-per-view prelims across all their platforms - ESPN+, Hulu SVOD, ESPN & ESPN Deportes combined.
UFC 300 broke two more records as it attracted a historically high number of people to ESPN for the preliminary card and the early prelims, which kicked off with a fight between two former champions.
“UFC 300 outperformed in every way and delivered an iconic night that fans will always remember,” said Matt Kenny, ESPN's vice president of programming & acquisitions.
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“No one covers big events like ESPN and UFC 300 is the latest example of what we can accomplish together with UFC.
“2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for UFC on our platforms and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come.”
The UFC signed a deal with ESPN in 2018 reportedly worth around £1.2billion.
Right now, ESPN holds exclusive rights over all UFC programming in the US, including the pay-per-view broadcasts that played a massive part in the continued growth of ESPN+.
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The UFC is currently open to offers for a new broadcast rights deal as their contract with ESPN is due to expire in 2025.
“Our deal is coming up,” White said of the UFC’s relationship with ESPN earlier this year.
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“I believe that talks will begin with ESPN within the next three to four months.”
After a hugely successful UFC 300 event, ESPN will surely be doing everything they can to keep MMA’s premier promotion on the platform, but they may face competition from other networks.
Only time will tell where fans will be watching the UFC in 2026.
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