UFC Primetime will support Fox’s NFL single game lineup this fall. In a press release sent out today, Fox announced that the UFC would air its one hour special Sunday night October 30th.
Also, Barclay’s Premier League soccer and a BCS college football championship special will complement weekends in which only one NFL game will be shown on the network. Thus, the NFL will serve as a lead-in to these specials.
On Sunday, Oct. 30, in anticipation of the UFC’s landmark live primetime FOX debut in November, FOX Sports offers UFC PRIMETIME, an intense, one-hour, behind-the-scenes look at the fighters’ preparation leading up to the Nov. 12 main event. FOX Sports recently announced a multi-year, multi-platform rights agreement that features programming on several FOX networks including FX and FUEL TV. Featured programming includes live fights, pre and post shows, countdown shows, and a variety of UFC-produced original programs.
Payout Perspective:
The one hour UFC Primetime will make the decision to pick the fights for the UFC on Fox debut November 12th even huger. The UFC will need fighters that are personable, preferably a big name, that the casual viewer would want to see more of. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the UFC does to change the look and feel of Primetime. An hour is a lot of time and I am not sure if a general audience will be held watching ji jitsu practice. Still, this is a big opportunity for the UFC to get out in front of the carryover audience from the NFL.
I’m curious and hopeful about the ratings this will get. Without a doubt this is the next big step for the sport, it will be interesting to see how everything develops.