ESPN is "talking about putting the UFC on the air," the latest sign that MMA "has gone mainstream," according to Michael McCarthy of USA TODAY. UFC President Dana White has hosted ESPN Exec VP/Content John Skipper at a fight, and Skipper was "impressed by the atmosphere at the live show." Skipper said, "We talk to (the UFC) a lot. But I think they're still in contract with Spike. We did make the decision a couple years ago that we would cover it as a sport." He added, "We've been covering it. We do an Internet show. We do an occasional special on UFC. We talk to them. But there's nothing imminent." White predicts that the UFC's TV model "will change dramatically in coming years." Eventually, it "could resemble the NFL with its TV rights spread across multiple network partners." White: "Now that we have a track record -- 10 years not only of success, but safety -- the TV networks are not as terrified of this as they were 10 years ago. Or even five years ago. It's getting better and better every year. Not only with TV but more importantly for TV sponsorship. … We just did a new deal with Bud Light. We did a new deal with Dodge. The list goes on and on." McCarthy noted the UFC "wants to expand into the giant countries of India and China, where it could reach billions of potential new fans." White said, "We're working on deals in India and China that, when we get done, will put us in over a billion TV homes worldwide" (USATODAY.com, 6/21).
