Foxtel Signs UFC Broadcast Deal in Australia

Foxtel have secured exclusive broadcast rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) under a two-year, rx multi-channel agreement.

The deal also involves Fuel TV, FOX SPORTS, FX, and Main Event.

Broadcasting the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation since 2007 on Fuel TV, Foxtel will now be home to the most premium UFC content ever seen in Australia across its channels.

UFC President, Dana White, said: “The UFC is the most exciting sports organisation in the world and Foxtel is the no.1 entertainment company in Australia, so this is a perfect match.

“Australia is pound-for-pound the No.1 UFC market for its size, and we are now going to give them more UFC content than ever before. With Foxtel, they won’t miss a single minute of the action”.

FOX SPORTS Australia Chief Executive, Patrick Delany, said: “The UFC has become a major player in sports entertainment in Australia. Its growth has been nothing short of phenomenal. In the US, the popularity rivals the ‘big four’ of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB and the new partnership with Foxtel will see the UFC explode here in Australia.

“Fuel TV has aired UFC programming for several years, but this new multi-channel arrangement on Foxtel promises fans they won’t miss a single event. From live fights to the unscripted drama of The Ultimate Fighter series, there is now a home for it all on Foxtel.”

In a further coup for Australian UFC fans, Foxtel channel FX has announced the first ever locally-produced UFC series, The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs UK –The Smashes, to debut Wednesday September 19 at 7:30pm AEST on FX. FOX International Channels’ Managing Director, Karin Simoncini, said: “FX is the home of dramatic entertainment and I can’t think of a show that has more drama than The Ultimate Fighter.

“This is FX’s first local commission and we are very proud to be teaming with the UFC to find the next Ultimate Fighter here in Australia.”

Foxtel will broadcast LIVE UFC fights across Fuel TV, FOX SPORTS, FX and Main Event, plus all new series of long-running UFC programs The Ultimate Fighter and Unleashed.

Foxtel has also created a new online home for the UFC, www.ufconfoxtel.com, which features the latest news and video, series and program information, a TV guide dedicated to UFC programming, and a live Twitter stream so fans can keep up with all the action.