Dana White is asked about the next UFC broadcast deal. Says many of the potential media partners will be at Sphere this weekend. pic.twitter.com/JkCjSmYSQg
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) September 10, 2024
In terms of visual presentation, UFC 306 is expected to be an unprecedented event.
That’s largely because of the venue. The Sphere in Las Vegas has quickly become known for its immersive video and audio capabilities, and UFC CEO Dana White made it his goal to become the first entity to hold sporting event at the arena. That will come to fruition on Saturday night for a card headlined by a bantamweight championship clash between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
White has stated that the Sphere will be the star of the show, and that will include a movie paying tribute to Mexico’s contribution to combat sports between fights as well as different worlds depicted on the massive LED screen while the bouts themselves are taking place. It’s been a massive financial undertaking for the Las Vegas-based promotion.
“The budget for a UFC event is usually between $2-2.5 million. Our budget was $8 million for this; we’re $20 million in,” White recently said on “Bloomberg The Close.”
UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
As a result, ticket prices are reportedly above what they would normally be for a typical UFC event. Still, the interest level has been high, White says, both for those who want to attend in person and for those who plan on watching from home.
“Tickets are going like they always do. We will sell out this week, or the night of the event. It’s the biggest gate in UFC history, $22 or $23 million it will end up at,” White said. “And the biggest fight we’ve ever done for pre-buys — people buying the pay-per-view a week before….it’s the most pre-buys we’ve ever had in the history of the company.”
UFC 306 could prove to play a pivotal role for the promotion’s next media rights deal. The UFC’s existing deal with ESPN is set to expire in 2025, and the company figures to have a number of interested suitors when it hits the open market. According to White, some of those partners will be in attendance at the Sphere on Saturday night.
“It’s gonna be interesting how this plays out,” White said. “We could end up being like the NFL and other sports where we could be on multiple platforms, or just one. I don’t know how that’s gonna play out. We’re in those talks now.
“To be honest with you, a lot of those potential media people will be at the Sphere this weekend.”
