UFC Fight Pass

UFC Fight Pass is an American subscription-based video streaming service owned by the UFC's parent company, Zuffa, that launched in December 2013.

UFC Fight Pass
Broadcast areaMost countries worldwide, except for Hispanic America.[1]
HeadquartersLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080p, 4K for UFC 200[2]
Ownership
OwnerZuffa
History
LaunchedDecember 28, 2013 (2013-12-28)
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and United States[3]
March 6, 2014 (2014-03-06)
More than 200 countries and territories.[4]
Links
Websitewww.ufcfightpass.com

History

Fight Pass showcases live and on-demand mixed martial arts, submission grappling, kickboxing, boxing and Thai boxing events. In addition to UFC events (with their flagship pay-per-view events appearing on the service around a month after their initial broadcasts), Fight Pass also includes content from the libraries of PRIDE FC, World Extreme Cagefighting, Strikeforce, Affliction Entertainment, World Fighting Alliance, EliteXC, King of the Cage, Pancrase, Cage Warriors, Shooto and UCMMA.[5]

In September 2014, Invicta FC began live-streaming events on Fight Pass.[6] In February 2016, it was announced Fight Pass would begin streaming kickboxing promotions Glory and K-1, and the Eddie Bravo Invitational submission grappling tournaments.[7]

On December 5, 2019, UFC announced an upgrade which included 1080p video, improved search and multi view for desktop.[8] UFC president Dana White said "The redesigned Fight Pass offers upgrades like 1080p video, multi-view for desktop, improved search, and coming early next year, ‘Downloads to Go,’ so you can watch Fight Pass content without an internet connection. Add in the world's largest fight library with 17,000 fights, every UFC fight ever, and over 1,000 hours of live combat sports, and Fight Pass continues to be a must-have streaming service for combat sports fans".[9] Content included alongside live events and the fight library includes shows such as The Ultimate Fighter, Unleashed, Dana White's Contender Series, Unfiltered, Connected and the popular long running show UFC Now.[10]

On July 22, 2020, it was announced that UFC had rolled out their Fight Pass service in Japan.[11] Kevin Chang, senior vice president for UFC Asia said "Japan is a pioneer in the sport of MMA, with a fan base that is knowledgeable, sophisticated, and always hungry for more". The promotion had also introduced the service to other major territories in Asia, including China and India.[12]

As of February 2021, Invicta FC was pulled from Fight Pass.[13][14] As many broadcasters have chosen with the current decline of traditional TV[15] Invicta opted to go down the Fight Network route where their events will now broadcast live in the United States and Canada[16] similar to the WWE Network model where full live events is part of a subscription base price.[17][18][19]

Although media subscription services tend to experience significant churn, UFC Fight Pass is believed to have approximately 250,000 subscribers globally, as of 2017.[20] In 2020, it was noted that the service has continued to grow 28% year to date. General manager Crowley Sullivan said, "Even without live events for two months, UFC Fight Pass subscriptions are up 28% year-to-date and 23% year-over-year".[21]

In June 2022, JCK MMA signed a multi-event agreement with Fight Pass.[22]

In August 2022, it was confirmed that UFC Fight Pass will be released in Brazil in 2023 after the UFC rights with Grupo Globo will expire on the same year.[23] UFC Fight Pass was officially released in Brazil on January 1, 2023.[24]

In 2023, the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship signed an exclusive multi-year streaming deal with UFC Fight Pass, leaving their previous broadcaster FloSports.[25] That deal fell apart just four months later, and ADCC left UFC Fight Pass.[26]

In-house events

On December 16, 2021 UFC Fight Pass produced its first in-house event; UFC Fight Pass Invitational. The event saw four teams of four men compete in grappling matches, including Davi Ramos, James Krause, and Rafael Lovato Jr. The tournament was won by the team representing Legacy Fighting Alliance.[27]

The second UFC Fight Pass Invitational event took place on July 3, 2021 and featured a number of returning competitors along with debutants in another team tournament.[28] This tournament was won by the team representing Anthony Pettis Fighting Championships.[29]

The third UFC Fight Pass Invitational event took place on December 15, 2021 and saw a slight change in format. This event featured an eight-man absolute tournament instead, featuring top grapplers like Nick Rodriguez, Mason Fowler, and Patrick Gaudio.[30] The main event was scheduled to be a superfight between Gordon Ryan and Vinny Magalhães,[31] but Magalhaes withdrew from the match days before the event and was replaced with Nick Rodriguez.[32] Mason Fowler won the absolute tournament and Gordon Ryan won the superfight.[33]

Dana White announced that the fourth UFC Fight Pass Invitational was scheduled to take place on June 29, 2023 and would be headlined by Craig Jones v Felipe Pena with Glover Teixeira v Anthony Smith serving as the co-main event.[34]

References
  1. "UFC ® - Ultimate Fighting Championship". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  2. "UFC.TV - Watch LIVE and on-demand UFC PPV events now". www.ufc.tv. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  3. "UFC Launches UFC Fight Pass". Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  4. Junkie Staff, MMA (5 Dec 2019). "UFC Fight Pass gets redesign and overhaul, including 1080p video and 'Downloads to Go'". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  5. "UFC ® - Ultimate Fighting Championship". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  6. "Invicta FC partners with UFC Fight Pass for future broadcasts, library content". 6 June 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  7. "UFC inks deal to stream GLORY, EBI & K-1 library". 11 February 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  8. "UFC UNVEILS MAJOR REDESIGN FOR FIGHT PASS". ufc.com. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  9. Junkie Staff, MMA (5 Dec 2019). "UFC Fight Pass gets redesign and overhaul, including 1080p video and 'Downloads to Go'". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  10. De Venecia, Albert (24 Sep 2020). "Is the UFC Fight Pass Worth Subscribing To? (A Review)". robots.net. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  11. "Previous Next UFC FIGHT PASS LAUNCHES IN JAPAN". ufc.com. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  12. Impey, Steven (22 July 2020). "UFC rolls out Fight Pass OTT service in Japan". Sports Pro Media. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  13. Anderson, Jay (23 Feb 2021). "After Nearly Seven Years, Invicta FC Parts Ways with UFC Fight Pass". Cageside Press. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  14. Riggs, Drake (22 Feb 2021). "UFC Fight Pass will no longer feature Invicta FC events". BJPenn.com. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  15. Bloom, David (12 Jan 2021). "Cord-Cutting To Accelerate In 2021, With 27% Of Cable Households Disconnecting". Forbes. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  16. Segura, Danny (15 April 2021). "Invicta FC sold to Anthem Sports & Entertainment, events to air on AXS TV". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  17. Staff, HBN (May 2021). "First Look: Official Wrestlemania Backlash Poster Revealed". Heel By Nature. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  18. Welch, Chris (25 Jan 2021). "WWE will move its streaming service to Peacock in the US. Current WWE Network subscribers could end up saving money". The Verge. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  19. Blanchet, Ben (5 April 2021). "WWE Network's wrestling events are now streaming exclusively on Peacock Premium, and new members can get 50% off their first 4 months". Business Insider. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  20. "Superagents Patrick Whitesell And Ari Emanuel Are Building The Future Of Hollywood". FastCompany.com. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  21. Evans, Pat (4 Sep 2020). "UFC Fight Pass Overhaul Hits At Prime Time, Revenue Streams Growing". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  22. "UFC Fight Pass, JCK MMA Agree To Streaming Deal". International Business Times. 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  23. "Em decadência no Brasil, UFC fecha com a Band e desfalca Globo com pay-per-view". 10 August 2022.
  24. "Streaming oficial do UFC chega ao Brasil com 50% de desconto no plano anual" [UFC's official streaming [service] comes to Brazil with 50% discount on the annual plan]. Tecnoblog (in Portuguese). January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  25. Rollo, Ian (22 January 2023). "ADCC Moves To UFC Fight Pass In Exclusive Multi-Year Deal". JitsMagazine. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  26. Phillips, Sabrina. "ADCC Returns To FloGrappling Exclusively". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  27. "UFC Fight Pass Invitational 1 Full Results and Review". 18 December 2021.
  28. "UFC Fight Pass Invitational Announces Teams for Second Event". 26 June 2022.
  29. "UFC Fight Pass Invitational 2 Full Results and Review". 4 July 2022.
  30. "Lineup Confirmed for UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3 Absolute Tournament". 6 December 2022.
  31. "Gordon Ryan and Vinny Magalhaes Headline UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3". 2 December 2022.
  32. "Nicky Rodriguez Steps in to Face Gordon Ryan on Short Notice". 15 December 2022.
  33. "UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3 Full Results and Review". 16 December 2022.
  34. Blackett, Todd. "Craig Jones v Felipe Pena To Headline UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
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