The UFC is in the hunt for its next broadcast deal, as Dana White and Co. are trying to land an ambitious $1 billion per year deal. However, the promotion has yet to land their land deal, with some sources claiming that maybe the $1 billion demand may be a tough ask for many networks. Despite the delay, it seems like the UFC CEO could be getting some help in securing his promotion’s interest, all thanks to US President Donald Trump.
The POTUS recently announced that, for the first time in history, the White House will be hosting a UFC event as part of the America250 celebrations. He even claimed that they will set up a 25,000-seater venue for the said event, which will feature championship fights. Well, this certainly succeeded in piquing the interest of the stars who have been away from action, with Jon Jones and Conor McGregor wanting to compete in that event. However, that wasn’t the only way the announcement helped Dana White, according to MMA analyst Luke Thomas.
The veteran American combat journalist believes that Dana White’s promotion needed a huge boost as they’re on the lookout for their next broadcast partners. The UFC White House announcement could have been Donald Trump’s way of making sure that the ‘potential networks’ out there get the nod about partnering with the Las Vegas-based promotion, which is still a pretty big brand in the sporting world.
“The UFC is about to sign a huge television deal. Maybe even Donald Trump was saying this [UFC White House announcement] to entice potential broadcast networks to work even more with them to get, like, this kind of price,” Luke Thomas told Submission Radio.
MMA: UFC 309 Nov 16, 2024 New York, NY, USA UFC CEO Dana White left talks to President-elect Donald Trump ringside during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. New York Madison Square Garden NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBradxPennerx 20241116_bjp_ae5_004
Well, it won’t come as a surprise if Luke Thomas’s hunch about Donald Trump’s move for Dana White turns out to be true. After all, they share a very cordial relationship, and the 78-year-old has previously helped the UFC at a time when the promotion was vilified by the media and the masses. Interestingly, the CEO shared an update about the TV deal situation after the White House event announcement. And guess what? White claims that the only way for the UFC is to take a step up.
Dana White speaks about the UFC TV deal
Dana White recently appeared on his favorite, the Full Send Podcast. He spoke about the TV deal, strongly emphasizing that the UFC is going to end up on a network that has a much bigger international presence than his promotion itself. When we talk about global reach, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and a few others come to mind. But we have no confirmation on that end, as Netflix, over a few months ago, didn’t seem too keen on partnering with White’s promotion.
“More than likely, we’re going to end up with a platform that is way more global than we are now… There’s nothing. I don’t have anything right now. We’re in the middle of talks, you know… We’ll see how it plays out,” Dana White stated. “If you think about Spike TV, we started. From there, we went to FOX. From there, we went to ESPN. It’s just we’ve leveled up every single time and made the sport bigger and bigger and bigger.”
Well, Dana White’s plans to get “bigger and bigger” may take shape soon with Donald Trump’s help. The promotion is already on the verge of making history in the White House, as they will be the first combat sports outfit to host an event on the campus of the POTUS residence. What do you make of Luke Thomas’s theory about the Trump-White tactics? Let us know in the comments down below.
The post Donald Trump’s Sly Move to Help Dana White With $1B Called Out as CEO Issues UFC TV Deal Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.
