Penn-Sanchez Headlines Third UFC Event in November, Likely To Kick Off New Broadcast Deal
A previously-reported matchup between UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn and challenger Diego Sanchez won’t headline UFC 105 on November 14 event in Manchester, England, with the 155-pound fight instead slated for an early-November card, the UFC’s third of the month joining UFC 105 and UFC 106 (November 21; Las Vegas).
UFC President Dana White discussed the fight and event at Thursday’s UFC 102 press conference, adding that the card wouldn’t air on Spike TV like UFC 105 nor pay-per-view like UFC 106, but would apparently be the debut of a new broadcast deal to-be-announced, potentially with a network TV partner.
“Penn-Sanchez, but I don’t know where yet. We’re working on a deal right now,” said White. “It definitely won’t be in Manchester.”
“Neither,” White continued when asked whether it would air on Spike or PPV. “Wait and see boys…I’m pretty confident we’re gonna have a deal very, very soon. I like what I’m hearing now more than I ever did before…Once we get the right offer, we will be on network television. We haven’t had the right offer, yet.”
Pictured: Diego Sanchez
Tags: BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez
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Crazy to me that White would say that it’s not going to be on Spike or PPV, but they still don’t have the network deal put together.
Also, is it just my computer or does the text get smaller from top to bottom?
It’s not just your computer
OK, I asked Kris about it.
I just looked at the “backend” of the article, and that looks intentional.
I’m guessing it’s going to be ABC. Why else would UFC.com have announced and endorced Chuck’s stint on Dancing With the Stars?
It may in fact be ABC, which I find a bit odd because MMA and Disney, ABC’s parent company, don’t seem to go hand in hand upon first glance, but stranger things have happened, and their is that DWTS/Liddell announcement.
I mentioned earlier today on another thread that I thought NBC, which is reportedly having trouble attracting and holding viewers in multiple key demographics, would be a good fit for the UFC.
I think the pairing of Bob Costas and Randy Couture would work well in a NBC version of ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
“The UFC on NBC” sort of has a nice ring to it, as well.
I guess we’ll all be staying tuned for coming attractions, as they used to say in the TV biz…
ABC and ESPN are both owned by Disney, and well, they did do that Bellator thing on ESPNOcho…err…Deportes. Also, the UFC already has a deal with ESPN in the UK/Ireland.
Though NBC sounds interesting as well, since they are struggling, and could do with the boost. However, considering that NBC is owned by GE, which is run/owned (or somewhere in between) by the government, I kinda hope not.
Good point on the government ownership thing.
And if they’re going to put the UFC on the Ocho, they’d best not cancel Dodgeball to make room for it…
the gov is kinda like the sponsor of GE is sorta how I would put it, doesn’t exactly run it but seeing how they are putting forth the money their opinions are taken very seriously? Justin you’re better at this stuff than I’am but thats the simpletons way if you will?
FR,
Yeah, that’s more like it. The government is essentially funding GE, I could go further into all the implications this has politically, and as far was what that means for the legitimacy of the national NBC networks as far as “accurately” reporting the news, but I’ll save that for another time in the forums, or something. Suffice it to say, it’s not good.
Justin I’d be curious to hear your GE stories being that I work for them.
Not really stories, and I don’t know all the details. I just think it’s shady that the government is helping to fund a “news” outlet (to the tune of $140 billion in bailout funds for parent company GE). When the government pays the paycheck for the news outlet, they are less likely to point out the wrong things the government is doing. I’m of the personal opinion that MSNBC has seriously dropped the ball in terms of their journalistic duty to report on our government. Which is not to say they are the only ones… but considering their funding, it really looks bad.
I’m not sure I’m onboard with this whole “3 events per month” idea unless the UFC are planning on drastically increasing their overall roster (possibly with the inclusion of lighter weightclasses). I’d much prefer one event a month that consisted of at least two quality fights
I’d say that between absorbing fighters from the Affliction meltdown and the upcoming hinted-at merger with the WEC, the UFC already has begun IMO increasing their overall roster size…
Plus the potential addition of the 125s.
Three cards a month would be great for me. that would maybe satisy my MMA hunger. All I do at work is talk to people who could care less about what fighter is fighting who on the pre-lims in three months from now.
As long as one if free on spike and one is on ABC or something that will be good but three PPV’s a month and I would be living out of a box.
He11, carls, at 3 PPVs every month I might be living out of a box right down the alley from you, which is sad when you consider that I own my own business, or at least a third of it…
The sad math is –
3 PPVs every month, of which there are 12, equals 36 PPVs in a year. At the current rate of about $50 per PPV, the projected average is about $1800 in the first year alone, if I’m ciphering correctly.
In a five year period, with taxes and cable fees and even an incremental increase, you’re looking at 10 grand out of pocket, and thats not counting hitting a live event or carrying Showtime for Strikeforce and/or HBO if thats the route the UFC goes with their impending TV deal…
Oh i know. He11 i pay 40 loonies for a strikeforce card up here in the great white north.
Does anyone have an opinion on the fight? I hope Diego KO’s BJ. I never liked his additude and the Saint Pier fight just really showed his true colors. BJ is one of the best fighters in that weight class if not the best but he needs to be put in his place especially if he starts talking trash about my hometown boy Diego. Talk is cheap. Diego has the heart and his skill level is moving up fast.
The fight has been talked about on another thread. I think Penn will beat Diego. It should be a good fight, but Penn will come out on top.
Hit the Forums Nico thats where you will get all your healthy convos in on how the fight is gonna go down between those two.
You could even start a new thread on it if your realy feeling lucky.
My computer seems to be fine fyi!
I would pressume that it would finally be with HBO, why cuz I say so biotch, no but HBO is the “big boy” of the cable industry and is a direct competitor with Showtime (who just had 856,000 people watch MMA two weeks ago, member) and with the cussing inbetween rounds it makes sense.. As long as the production is ZUFFA ran this can happen, I don’t see UFC going Network, but something is in the works forsure and I can’t wait…. If we have HBO v Showtime referring to MMA how fu^king sick is that…. The growth of MMA is definately upon us and damnnit we should enjoy every aspect of MMA good times gents good times
Yeah, Kris fixed the text after I brought it to his attention.
HBO, I don’t like that either. I really don’t want to have to buy a stupid premium cable channel just for UFC, and get a bunch of other garbage I’m not interested in (no offense to anyone that watches their shows), plus pay for the PPVs. I’m definitely pulling for a network deal over HBO. I already feel bad for streaming Strikeforce, but I just don’t want showtime, plain and simple. They have nothing I’m interested in besides Strikeforce.
I should go back and add up how many months I’ve carried Showtime on my cable system JUST to support MMA and Strikeforce…
I know that the anti Fedoration is well strong, but I do appreciate the fact that you guys are able to support Strikeforce and realize that M~1 is the evil monkey off of Family Guy (F~Finkledinkle) but Coker runs a nice ship over there and with the alliance with FEG (DREAM and K~1) thats the big mother that all “hardcore” fans will realize is going to be sick for us (the NA audience) but hey thats just me, cheers and thx for the thoughts
Yeah, but he says “Network Television”, not cable. idk?
Spike TV has an exclusive deal with the UFC on cable, but it leaves the door open for a network, making it the only broadcast option besides Spike and PPV.
I also saw in another article that Dana specifically said “not HBO”.
I think it would make sense to have your less attractive shows (lack of better words) free on network and PPV for your title fights. Got sleepy reading. Sorry if this was already suggested.
I really hope they don’t lose control though. Lots of concessions and those can only grow as the money goes up.
Hopefully diego can pull it off…
I got to root for my fellow latino holding it down…
it will be a tough fight…
Great another poor UK card and Bispng topping the bill i wont be going now
penn gets to whoop on diego on free television…ahh yes i cant wait!….this is gonna be amazing…..abc..the cw or fox im calling it right now
Even before i got to yours Gunslinger, i was wondering why everyone was leaving out Fox. They will put anything on tv. They had that one show where couples go to this island and they seperate all the couples and put them in tempting situations, so basically they all cheat on eachother on NETWORK television. This is going to be risk for any of the stations. Non-MMA suppporters greatly outnumber us. But maybe they will pull their head out of where the sun dont shine and see that this is just a regular sport.
Im definetly going with Fox.
Fox is a good call, but they already have a sizable chunk of the key demographics that someone like NBC is missing.
I agree that MMA is a better “fit” for Fox, and I would probably prefer seeing it there, but at some point NBC Sports has to pull the trigger on something.
A friend of mine has done copy there for years, and she shot me an email telling me that not just the Sports division, but the News and entertainment divisions have had a black cloud and weak ratings over them for almost a year, probably due in part to the issue Justin referenced, namely the US Government owning GE owning NBC thing.
Which I guess maybe makes a great argument for MMA NOT being on NBC.
I guess we’ll have to wait this one out. If I hear anything specific at 102 tomorrow I’ll hit up the frenZy ASAP.
If it is a network, I will actually think ABC, being part of the Disney empire and being a sister network to ESPN. There is more money and in my opinion, a better sports crew there than Fox or NBC.
Why not CBS? There’s plenty of Viacom money there, and they did broadcast EliteXC…granted that was small potatoes, but hey.
They have a contract with Strikeforce.