The UFC and ESPN have announced an increase in the price of pay-per-views – beginning this month with UFC 270.
Over the course of the last few years, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and ESPN have enjoyed a strong relationship with one another. The UFC serves as one of the top products ESPN has at their disposal, with ESPN offering the UFC some great exposure.
Alas, all great things come at a cost, and fans are the ones who will have to pay the price – quite literally.
From this month onwards, all UFC PPV events on ESPN+ will cost fans a sum of $74.99 from the previous amount of $69.99.
UFC PPV price increases since 2004…
February 2005: $29.95
April 2005: $34.95
2006: $39.95
February 2008: $44.95
2009: $54.99*
2015: $59.99
2018: $64.99
2021: $69.99
2022: $74.99*UFC 168 in December 2013 was an exception of the time at $59.99 https://t.co/Krt9CnlpuK
— Scott Fontana (@Scott_Fontana) January 6, 2022
The ESPN+ PPV Package, which includes one UFC pay-per-view event and a year subscription to the platform, is also going up to $99.98 from $89.98.
This is the third time the UFC has raised the prices of pay-per-views since their partnership with ESPN got underway, leading many to believe they’re the ones who are insisting on the increase.
Other fans and pundits have questioned what this could, or perhaps should, mean for fighter pay. It’s an issue that has been at the forefront of many conversations in recent times and while Dana White is insistent on keeping things how it is, there’s been an awful lot of pushback.
A lot of people aren’t going to be overly pleased with the direction of travel with regards to the money involved but if the UFC continues to go from strength to strength, then this won’t be the last time we see a price hike.
What do you think about the UFC and ESPN raising the price of PPVs? Would it make you less likely to invest in the UFC? Let us know your thoughts on this saga and the future of the sport down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!