Mixed martial arts’ Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has unveiled two new multi-year broadcast deals in Belgium, with Play Media and Orange Belgium.
GoPlay, a streaming service owned by Play Media, will cover the action in Dutch and Flemish in the Flanders region, while the VOOsport World TV channels owned by Orange will show UFC live content in Wallonia, broadcasting in French.
Both platforms will each show over 40 UFC events per year, including all Fight Nights and numbered events. Several of these will be held in Europe, meaning a prime-time viewing experience for Belgian fans.
In addition to this live coverage, both GoPlay and VOOsport World will provide additional content, including press conferences, weigh-ins, magazine programming, and original feature shows.
The previous rights holder of live UFC content in Belgium was the Eleven Sports subscription broadcaster (now owned by global heavyweight DAZN).
The first event to be aired on the two platforms was UFC Fight Night: ANKALAEV vs. WALKER 2, which took place yesterday (January 14).
David Shaw, executive vice president and head of international and content at UFC, has said: “To bring on two new partners in Belgium will help us create a more bespoke and tailored content strategy for our fans. Both GoPlay and VOOsport World have presented a compelling and exciting vision for their UFC coverage."
Annick Bongers, GoPlay’s program director, added: “Sports have been in Play's DNA for years, and with the live UFC events, we want to add an extra string to that bow over the coming years. There is a loyal and dedicated fan base, and due to its high entertainment value, the sport continues to grow every day, especially among young male viewers.
This deal comes after Viaplay extended its rights agreement covering UFC in four Nordic countries - Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland - in a multi-year renewal announced last week.
This year has already seen Sony Pictures Network (SPN), the Indian broadcasting group, announce an extension to its deal with UFC through 2028. The renewal, which covers India and the Indian subcontinent, sees SPN retain the rights to broadcast 42 live UFC events, including 12 numbered pay-per-view shows and 30 UFC Fight Night events, as well as original programs.
In addition, TKO Group, the combat sports giant formed out of the merger of UFC and the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion, unveiled a combination of the commercial teams of the two organizations earlier in January.
