Fans of the UFC and Professional Fighters League are going to have to endure another price hike in they want to keep watching the events held by those organizations.
Disney on Tuesday announced that the ESPN+ monthly subscription fee will increase from $10.99 to $11.99 on Oct. 17. The majority of UFC events and PFL offerings are available through ESPN+, though some can be viewed on ESPN lineal networks, as well. Meanwhile, an ESPN+ subscription is required to be able to access UFC pay-per-view events — which, of course, include an additional charge to purchase.
When the UFC initially became broadcast partners with ESPN, the price for ESPN+ was $4.99 per month. Subscription price increases have become the norm over the years, as the price was raised to $6.99 per month in 2021 and to $9.99 in 2022. Last October, it went up to $10.99.
The UFC’s broadcast deal with ESPN will expire in 2025. UFC CEO Dana White recently indicated that the promotion could end up having multiple broadcast partners when the ESPN contract concludes.
“Our rights deal is going to be a big deal coming up here,” White said. “Who knows? We could end up like the NBA and the NFL where we end up on multiple channels instead of just one. … It’s all moving and changing so quickly.”
The PFL, meanwhile, inked a new multi-year rights deal with ESPN late last year.
