Is It All Over for the UFC-Spike TV Partnership? |
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FastKnockout
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 525-315
Season: 16-8 (#1027)
Location: Mississippi
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Yesterday the Wall St Journal and New York Times both ran items about the UFC's involvement in talks to purchase a controlling interest in Comcast/NBC's G4 cable channel. Along with the news came reports that negotiations between Spike TV and the UFC to renew their current deal -- which expires at year end -- are not going well.
The New York Times has the most explosive details from the UFC-Spike negotiations:
Spike's $170 million-a-year deal with UFC for the show, "The Ultimate Fighter," and for live fights expires in six months. Negotiations between Spike and UFC for a new deal started almost one year ago, one of the people said, but broke down after UFC proposed a $325 million-a-year fee, a price that was far steeper than Spike was willing to pay.
Spike executives, meanwhile, are said to be eyeing an alternative for fights: MTV2, another unit of Viacom, recently started showing fights produced by Bellator, a smaller mixed martial arts league, and those fights could be moved over to Spike.
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Post #1 6/9/11 12:43:36PM
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KungFuMaster
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 244-207
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Central California
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If Spike does not accept the deal, I will be one sad mma fan. I only have the economy package. 
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Post #2 6/9/11 12:51:37PM
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Twenty20Dollars
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 847-533
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location:
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I bet it's over between spike and ufc.
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Post #3 6/9/11 1:31:48PM
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modog
Learning to Sprawl
Career record: 259-170
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location:
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This would be a huge risk for both sides if they decide to end their partnership. The UFC's $325 mil pricetag seems steep for stagnant ratings that seem to have plateaued.
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Post #4 6/9/11 1:37:08PM
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prozacnation1978
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 993-519
Season: 20-4 (#43)
Location: san diego
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I don't see why just have all the tuf and fight nights on the versus channel
At least it doesn't start till 2012
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Post #5 6/9/11 3:39:48PM
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MMA-San
In Full Mount
Career record: 661-466
Season: 18-5 (#753)
Location: AZ
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without UFC what does Spike have? It use to be without WWE what does Spike have? And Spike answered that question with the UFC. Now what the hell is it going to fire back with? TNA? lol
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Post #6 6/9/11 5:46:43PM
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Twenty20Dollars
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 847-533
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location:
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What about Fuel TV, but I'm sure no one has that channel...except me.
It's an action sports channel.
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Post #7 6/9/11 7:36:06PM
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Sam_Rothstein
Belt Contender
Career record: 774-460
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Iowa/Minnesota/California
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If G4 ends up making this deal im sure you people without the station will not have to wait too long to get it in your economy packages. They might be using this as a springboard to become more of a mainstream station.
Can't say I will miss all the bullshit shows Spike makes the UFC feature during their TUF events lol like Blue Mountain State and Blade the television series.
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Post #8 6/9/11 11:37:20PM
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