ESPN is said to be in advanced negotiations to acquire UFC Fight Pass, according to several sources of the Ultimate Fighting Championships on-Demand streaming service, plus the WWE safe. The discussions concentrate on integrating the extensive archive of Fight Pass and selecting live programming in ESPN’s direct-to-consumer platform ESPN+. At the same time, ESPN is investigating rights to WWE’s Vault Channel, a composite repository of classical content.
ESPN looking for UFC Fight Pass and WWE Vault
ESPN’s interest in UFC Fight Pass comes when the network speeds up its shift to digital distribution. Since the launch of ESPN+ in 2018, ESPN has steadily expanded its streaming footprint, adding combat sport content to his portfolio. Under the current agreement with UFC, ESPN has exclusive American streaming and linear rights until the end of 2025, including pay-per-view events on ESPN+ and 42 Live UFC Fight Nights per year. The UFC is then on Paramount+ as a home.
The acquisition of Fight Pass would give ESPN on-Demand access to the entire Vechtbibliotheek of the UFC lake than 3,000 attacks that go back to the early days of the promotional and permanent live rights to selection events, which strengthens it contents pipeline.
Negotiations are reportedly advanced but not completed, with important adhesive points, including rights, income exchange and the treatment of the existing subscriber base of Fight Pass. Analysts expect that folding fights in ESPN’s DTC app can stimulate significant growth of subscribers, given the established audience and marketing range of the platform.
Blake Avignon Explained:
“Breaking: ESPN is in active conversations to acquire UFC Fight Pass confirm several sources. The plan is to fold the archive and select live content in ESPN’s new DTC -App. Discussions are advanced but not completed, with ESPN also looking at the WWE -Kluis.”
The network also looks at the WWE safe, with composite highlights, classic competitions and documentaries behind the scenes. WWE and ESPN recently announced a multi-year partnership for pay-per-view events and select live specials, with a value of $ 325 million a year from 2026. In that deal, ESPN has achieved streaming rights at large events such as Wrestlemania and Summerslam, while showing interest in the Archiving Library of WWEs. The acquisition of both the UFC and WWE archives would position the DTC service from ESPN and the most important hub for combat sports enthusiasts.
These movements occur against the background of a bright competitive media rights landscape. Set with paramount+ to become UFC’s exclusive US broadcast Home In 2026 under a seven-year-old deal under a $ 7.7 billion, ESPN tries to extend his MMA footprint before that transition. For WWE, the shift from Peacock to ESPN’s new platform Marks a strategic re -combine and taps the sports -oriented brand of ESPN to reach a wider audience.
International
If ESPN acquires UFC Fight Pass, it is unlikely that the service will disappear internationally. Instead, the Fight Pass is expected to be fully integrated into ESPN’s direct-to-consumer app on the American market, while a standing platform remains abroad, similar to how WWE network content in the US in Peacock was folded, but independently continues in other regions.
ESPN could also explore regional or international licenses to explore the rights of the licenses to maximize reach and income outside the US. This approach can strengthen ESPN its domestic offer without disturbing the current international subscription base from Fight Pass, which has grown steadily thanks to localized versions and targeted marketing in several countries.
If the negotiations succeed, the DTC app from ESPN offers an unprecedented depth of combat sport content. Subscribers have access to the entire fighting history of UFC, live fighting cards, pay-per-view events and WWE’s Kluis-All under one subscription.
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