MMA Junkie reports Fox Sport’s Jay Glazer will host a new television show featuring UFC fighters on Fuel TV as part of the new UFC-Fox partnership. “UFC Champions Roundtable” is set to debut on Fuel TV on November 9th.
Fuel TV will also have pre and post fight shows for the big UFC on Fox event on November 12th.
There is some concern that Direct TV subscribers may not see the show’s debut as Direct TV and Fox are involved in contentious negotiations related to the renewal of Fox’s contract with the second biggest distributor in the US. Direct TV has approximately 19 million subscribers.
Despite the tough rhetoric on both sides, SBJ’s John Ourand does not think the blackout of Fox channels to last long. Ourand spoke to SB Nation’s Luke Thomas on October 21st regarding the dispute.
When they go public, everybody goes crazy like I’m doing right now with this story but for your listeners who really are worried about seeing MMA on FX and MMA on FOX broadcasts, it almost certainly, if you get FX and FOX broadcasts and you’re a DirecTV subscriber now, it might go dark for a week, maybe two weeks but these types of disputes always get resolved especially with companies as big as FOX because they don’t want to lose all of FOX programming.
Payout Perspective:
If Ourand is correct, Glazer’s debut on Direct TV is in jeopardy and so is the hype on the Fox channels for UFC on Fox November 12th. The Fox-Direct TV dispute may not hurt the UFC in the long run because its likely that the blackout will not be prolonged. However, it could hurt the UFC short term, and likely during the most important time in the company’s history. Certainly, this weekend’s UFC Primetime on Fox helps with the promotion but the Fox blackout will definitely hurt UFC’s promotion as well as its transition over to the Fox networks.
I think Jay Glazer was a no brainer to host a show.Since he was already under contract with FOX.The DirecTV/FOX battle could last to December.Dish Network had the same dispute with FOX in 2010.
That is cool that the UFC got Jay Glazer to host a show on Fuel. I am so happy right now that I have DISH Network as my provider/employer because then I don’t have to worry about losing any of the channels that will show UFC now. I know that DirecTV is in disputes with the FOX channels and that is upsetting for those customers. Hopefully they switch over to a different provider while they have a chance.
FOX is free over the air in HD, you just need a cheap digital antenna.
Jay Glazer, you commercialized sportscaster, trying to be real…you make the UFC look bad. Please Dana White and FOX execs, find somebody else who is a true MMA enthusiast and actually understands the intricacies of MMA. Why not Joe Rogan? He is more than qualified, and understands MMA more so than just about anyone. When I saw him with Hendo in the practice octagon, with his belly out and thinking that lifting weights without doing cardio a**, I know that the UFC may go down the drain. Replace his a**. And this is coming from someone who has been with MMA since Royce Gracie.