UFC enters the ESPN+ era

Once upon a time, mixed martial arts was only on PPV. It began at $14.95 and by 2001 was averaging around $29.95. By 2014 the average was about $49.95, and it’s higher today. Beginning in the early 2000s, some cards broadcast on free television, and by 2018, the process of watching a UFC was clear:
•Big shows had early prelims on UFC Fight Pass, late prelims on FOX Sports 1 (or sometimes FOX Sports 2), and the main card on PPV.
•Almost big shows had prelims on UFC Fight Pass, late prelims on FOX Sports 1 (or sometimes FOX Sports 2), and the main card on big FOX.
•Lesser shows might air on UFC Fight Pass and FOX Sports 1, or for the least shows, on UFC Fight Pass entirely.

We are now in the ESPN era of the UFC, and more generally, watching content is going Over The Top. 

The dominant OTT service is Netflix, which costs $10.99 per month, with a $7.99 option, and offers incalculable numbers of television series and movies. Netflix is the best value in entertainment. Many subscribers also pay for Amazon Prime ($12.99 per month), YouTube Premium ($12 per month), and Hulu ($7.99 and up per month), among others, plus a cable package and Internet.

Pro wrestling has the WWE network for $9.99 per month, which includes the cost of all PPVs.

For UFC fans, it’s more complicated. The biggest events still stream on PPV, for $64.99. There were 13 in 2018; if you watched all of them, that’s $844.87. Fight pass is $9.99. That was another $119.88. And a cable package that includes FOX and FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 is expensive.

Starting Saturday things change.

Saturday’s debut on ESPN will feature the main card and early prelims onESPN+, with the late prelims broadcast on ESPN.ESPN+ costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. That’s a lot cheaper than UFC Fight Pass and for US customers most of Fight Pass will get rolled into it. And there will be a great deal of bumper programming. For example, UFC on ESPN+ has:
Wednesday, 1/16
12 a.m. Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show ESPNEWS
8 p.m. Ariel & the Bad Guy ESPN+
Friday 1/18
9 a.m. Ariel & The Bad Guy Live ESPN+ (Live)
6 p.m. UFC Pre-Fight Show ESPN+ (Live)
Saturday, 1/19
3 p.m. UFC Main Event: Khabib vs. McGregor ESPNEWS
4 p.m. UFC Main Event: Johnson vs. Cejudo 2 ESPNEWS
4 p.m. UFC Origenes: Henry Cejudo ESPN Deportes
5 p.m. UFC Main Event: Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt 1 & 2 ESPNEWS
5 p.m. Ariel & The Bad Guy Live YouTube, Twitter (Live)
6 p.m. UFC Fight Night (Early Prelims) ESPN+ (Live) in both English and Spanish 
8 p.m. UFC Fight Night (Prelims) ESPN, ESPN Deportes (Live)
10 p.m. UFC Fight Night (Main Card) ESPN+ (Live) in both English and Spanish 
Sunday 1/20
1 a.m. UFC Post-Fight Show ESPN+ (Live)

Plus ESPN+has MLB daily, NHL daily, 250 MLS games, College football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track and field, gymnastics, swimming and diving, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, golf and more from 20 U.S. collegiate conferences, Top Rank Boxing: Hundreds of live boxing matches, including 18 exclusive Top Rank fight cards throughout the year, 50 days of PGA Tour Golf, Grand Slam Tennis singles, Cricket, Rugby, Canadian Football League, English Football League, UEFA Nations League, United Soccer League and more. For 50 bucks a year.

ESPN+ (Free 7-Day Trial) is available through iTunes, Google Play, and a web browser.