According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the UFC is in talks to purchase a controlling interest in struggling television network G4.
From the Wall Street Journal
Ultimate Fighting Championship, which pits boxers and martial-arts specialists against each other in bloody bouts, is in talks to acquire control of its own cable network, said people familiar with the matter, as it seeks a more direct relationship with the sport’s growing fan base.
The sports organization, which popularized a new breed of fighting known as mixed martial arts, is in talks to buy control of NBCUniversal’s struggling G4 gaming network, the people familiar with the matter said.
The UFC’s current television deal with Spike TV ends this year. The company has confirmed that they are exploring all options. According to a report from MMAFighting, Spike TV officials have been on site at recent Bellator Fighting Championship events. This past season, Bellator shows were broadcast on MTV2, which is owned by media conglomerate Viacom, the same company that owns Spike TV.
In addition to their Spike TV television deal, the UFC also currently has broadcast deals with the Versus network and Ion Television.
G4 was launched in 2002. The network is currently carried national on Dish Network and regionally on At&T U-verse, Cablevision and several other local providers. It is available in 59 million homes.