FOX Reportedly Paying $1 Billion for WWE Smackdown But Still Making Offer to Keep UFC

FOX is getting into business with WWE but that doesn’t mean they’re giving up on a broadcast partnership with the UFC.

On Monday it was revealed that FOX is reportedly paying $1 billion over five years for WWE’s ‘Smackdown Live’ to air on their network starting in October 2019.

‘Smackdown Live’ averages around 2.59 million viewers per week but the show currently airs on USA Network. The series will reportedly shift to broadcast live on FOX starting in 2019, which should result in an increase of overall viewers per week.

With FOX paying $1 billion over five years to land WWE programming, that leaves a lot of questions about the network’s commitment to the UFC.

FOX is the exclusive home to the UFC through the end of 2018 with the network paying around $120 per year after first inking a seven year deal back in 2011. The UFC recently landed a five-year, $750 million deal for 15 events to begin airing on ESPN+ in January 2019.

While those 15 events will be exclusive to ESPN+, the UFC still has a slate of programming including around 12 pay-per-view cards, 12 pay-per-view preliminary events and approximately 15 more live events per year.

Despite forking over $1 billion for the rights to WWE ‘Smackdown Live’, FOX is still trying to stay in business with the UFC with the network offering around $175 million a year for the remainder of the mixed martial arts company’s broadcast rights according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Previous reports had stated that FOX was willing to pay around $200 million per year to keep the UFC. It’s unknown at this time if that number was not accurate or if FOX changed their offer after the UFC inked a deal with ESPN.

The offer at $175 million would be less than what the UFC had hoped to gain for the remainder of their television rights package.

While FOX may be willing to stay in the race to keep the UFC, they are not the only suitor interested in retaining the remainder of the broadcast rights package.

Sources have stated that NBC is interested in landing the UFC after the network made an offer to land the promotion back in 2011 prior to FOX ultimately getting the broadcast rights.

AT&T/Time Warner is another potential suitor depending on the outcome of their anti-trust merger trial with a judge expected to hand down a verdict on that in June.

There’s also the possibility that other suitors such as Amazon or Apple get involved as well.

For now, UFC will continue to search for the best possible deal but it’s clear that FOX isn’t out of the running even after paying $1 billion for ‘Smackdown Live’.