Less than six weeks after reaching a UK and Ireland television agreement with ESPN, the UFC announced Tuesday that UFC programming will land on network TV in the UK.
The UFC has signed a deal with FIVE, one of only five terrestrial networks in the UK and has a reach of over 30 million viewers. Part of deal will also call for programming on FIVE's sister channel, FIVE USA, which focuses on hour-long American dramas such as the CSI and House.
Airing on the free channel is a new weekly highlight show called UFC: Main Event on Sundays at midnight and FIVE USA will carry The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights on Saturdays three day after the US broadcast.
"This is a huge step for the UFC in the UK," UFC UK President Marshall Zelaznik said in a statement. "We are delighted to partner up with FIVE - who are trailblazers in their approach to both sports and programming - and bring the best bouts and the world's greatest fighters to the largest possible audience. We know we are going to create a whole new generation of UFC fans on FIVE."
Live UFC pay-per-view and UFC Fight Night events will continue to air in the UK on ESPN, which like in the US, is a paid subscription channel.
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