The L.A. Times has the scoop:
Fox Sports 1 has struck agreements with three major distributors that will ensure that the new cable network will be available in the majority of pay-TV homes when the network launches this Saturday, people familiar with the matter said.
The three carriers — satellite broadcasters DirecTV and Dish and cable operator Time Warner Cable — all have agreed to carry Fox Sports 1 when it launches. Those three distributors combined reach over 40 million homes.
This is huge news for MMA and the UFC in particular as they are scheduled to air a LIVE event as a huge part of the FOX Sports 1 debut on Saturday night. The more homes the event has the potential to reach, the better it is from an advertising standpoint which drives everything in regards to TV.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will take on two time middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen in the main event. The co-main event will feature a heavyweight bout between former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and rising contender Travis Browne.
The event will take place at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The preliminary bouts will air on Facebook beginning at 4 p.m. ET, with the rest of the card airing on the FOX Sports 1 channel beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The broadcast will feature over five hours of live fights on Saturday night.
Stay tuned to ProMMAnow.com for more UFC on FOX Sports 1 news and coverage.