BY JAMES BRYDON
sportsnet.ca
In a move that UFC president Dana White says represents "the pinnacle" for the sport of MMA, the UFC and FOX Sports announced a seven-year television deal on Thursday which will see events air live nationally on the FOX network and its affiliates, starting this fall.
Four live events per year will air in primetime or late night on FOX, with the first on Nov. 12, 2011 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
"We're excited to be part of the FOX family," said UFC president Dana White in a release. "The UFC is finally where it belongs on the No. 1 network in the country and aligned with the most prestigious sports properties in the world. I've always said that the UFC will be the biggest sport in the world and with this relationship it will become a reality.
White added during a live press conference streamed online: "This was what I always wanted. This is the pinnacle."
In addition to the four major events that will air on network television for the first time, the deal also includes six "UFC Fight Nights" on FX.
"UFC’s growth over the past decade is nothing short of phenomenal and it has become one of the marquee sports in this country," said John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks. "There is a reason for its rising popularity. It features some of the greatest athletes in the world, and we believe it will be a terrific addition to our schedule and look forward to our relationship."
Part of the deal also included a lot of other UFC programming, including The Ultimate Fighter, with a new format. Season 15 of the reality show, which will begin airing on FX next year, will feature a "live" format.
Instead of six weeks of TUF footage taped, edited and aired months later, the show, which features up-and-coming fighters vying for a contract in the UFC, will now be taped each week and elimination fights shown live on Friday nights.
The six-year partnership between the UFC and Spike TV ends, and the upcoming season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter" in September will be its last.
The Ultimate Fighter may still air on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada.
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White said the new deal will also affect the look and possibly the format of the pay-per-view events that are currently where all the big fights are aired.
"This is a fresh start for us," White said. "Everything's going to change here, including the pay-per-view, graphics, show openings, etc.
"We're really excited. This is going to be fun putting this all together over the next couple years."
