Keep Up The Fight: UFC, Spike TV Agree To Three-Year Extension

Spike TV Inks Three-Year Extension With UFC

Spike TV and UFC have agreed to a three-year extension of their partnership that includes four additional seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter,” 12 live fight cards, two seasons of a new weekly series featuring live fights and 39 one-hour episodes of “UFC Unleashed,” a retrospective on the UFC greatest fights (Spike TV). UFC President Dana White said, “Since we started on Spike TV, we’ve continued to grow and build Spike’s numbers. With this new deal our plan is to grow the UFC, build big superstars and put up big numbers on Spike.” White also said that he is "‘100[%] confident’ that the UFC will end up with an HBO deal down the road” (BOSTON HERALD, 10/26). In Houston, Steve Sievert reported White confirmed that UFC "is no longer pursuing discussions with ESPN” to broadcast live fights (CHRON.com, 10/25). In Boston, Dan Duggan notes UFC has also signed former WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar and will hold UFC 79, featuring the Chuck Liddell-Wanderlei Silva fight, on December 29 in Las Vegas (BOSTON HERALD, 10/26).