Contributor: Tim Bernier
Fox and Comcast reached a deal that will bring many of Fox’s television channels to 22 million more people. These channels include FX, Fuel, Speed, Nat Geo, and Fox Business Channel. This is significant because UFC events on Fuel will be able to be seen by more people. One of the main concerns the UFC’s deal with Fox has brought was the inability for many fans to legally watch UFC events and UFC’s original programming on Fuel. That looks to be changing with this new deal.
It’s also significant for another reason. Fox is launching and revamping new sports coverage later this year. Speed and Fuel, two of Fox’s lesser known networks, are being rebranded as Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2, respectively. They’re going to serve as Fox’s attempt to compete with the likes of ESPN and NBC in sports coverage. UFC events and programming will very likely be on one or both of these channels.
Putting UFC content next to college football or professional baseball games brings an air of legitimacy to the UFC as a professional sporting organization. When Fox tries to expand into new territory, they go full steam ahead. They successfully launched their flagship network to compete with ABC, CBS, and NBC. They did it again with their news programming. They’re trying a third time with sports programming. The UFC is only going to benefit from Fox’s ambitious business plans. Their content is going to be able to be seen by many more people and, hopefully, continue to make waves with the mainstream.
–Tim Bernier can be reached @TimBernier31
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