Dana White is asked about the next UFC
broadcast deal. Says many of the potential media partners will be
at Sphere this weekend. pic.twitter.com/JkCjSmYSQg— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman)
September 10, 2024
In terms of visual presentation, UFC
306 is expected to be an unprecedented event.
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That’s largely because of the venue. The Sphere in Las Vegas has
quickly become known for its immersive video and audio
capabilities, and
UFC CEO Dana White made it his goal to become the first entity
to hold sporting event at the arena. That will come to fruition on
Saturday night for a card headlined by a bantamweight championship
clash between Sean
O’Malley and Merab
Dvalishvili.
White has stated that the Sphere will be the star of the show, and
that will include a movie paying tribute to Mexico’s contribution
to combat sports between fights as well as different worlds
depicted on the massive LED screen while the bouts themselves are
taking place. It’s been a massive financial undertaking for the Las
Vegas-based promotion.
“The budget for a UFC event is usually between $2-2.5 million. Our
budget was $8 million for this; we’re $20 million in,” White
recently said on “Bloomberg The Close.”
O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order
Now!
As a result, ticket prices are reportedly above what they would
normally be for a typical UFC event. Still, the interest level has
been high, White says, both for those who want to attend in person
and for those who plan on watching from home.
“Tickets are going like they always do. We will sell out this week,
or the night of the event. It’s the biggest gate in UFC history,
$22 or $23 million it will end up at,” White said. “And the biggest
fight we’ve ever done for pre-buys — people buying the pay-per-view
a week before….it’s the most pre-buys we’ve ever had in the history
of the company.”
UFC 306 could prove to play a pivotal role for the promotion’s next
media rights deal. The UFC’s existing deal with ESPN is set to
expire in 2025, and the company figures to have a number of
interested suitors when it hits the open market. According to
White, some of those partners will be in attendance at the Sphere
on Saturday night.
“It’s gonna be interesting how this plays out,” White said. “We
could end up being like the NFL and other sports where we could be
on multiple platforms, or just one. I don’t know how that’s gonna
play out. We’re in those talks now.
“To be honest with you, a lot of those potential media people will
be at the Sphere this weekend.”