The following is a news article from UFC.com:
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization today announced Yahoo! will be the new online distributor for UFC live Pay-Per-View (PPV) events, via Yahoo! Sports. Fans can view the next UFC event, UFC 82: PRIDE OF A CHAMPION, on March 1, 2008 at http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/ufcppv/82.
“This relationship with Yahoo! is an important step for the UFC to build its global distribution platform for live pay-per-view events,” said Dana White, UFC President. “We are looking forward to working with Yahoo! Sports to expand our reach and bring the sport of mixed martial arts to fight fans in every corner of the world in every possible language.”
In 2007, UFC continued to set Pay-Per-View and venue sales records, bolstered by the continuing success of UFC programming on Spike TV and the addition of several PRIDE® Champions to UFC’s increasingly star-studded roster. In Yahoo!’s premiere UFC online event, UFC 82: PRIDE OF A CHAMPION, Dan Henderson, PRIDE Champion, will face off against Anderson Silva, UFC Champion, in a much-anticipated unification title fight to crown the undisputed king of the UFC Middleweight division.
In 2007, Yahoo! and UFC began a relationship that would expand the availability of MMA news, information and entertainment coverage to reflect the explosive growth of the sport and the UFC brand. In October 2007, Yahoo! Sports launched a channel dedicated fully to MMA, offering fans access to live streaming of UFC pay-per-view weigh-ins, press conferences and a wide range of UFC video content. This media-rich channel includes original content from Yahoo! Sports writers Dave Meltzer, Kevin Iole and Dave Doyle, as well as additional contributions from other recognized MMA writers. This partnership is an important component of UFC’s overall global expansion plans.
Jacob Spades says
It’s really interesting to hear this deal announced between UFC and YAHOO!, especially considering the recent takeover rumors and woes on the Microsoft sidelines. It makes you wonder what will happen if, and undoubtedly when, Microsoft or another internet mogul (ie Google) takes over the downward spiraling YAHOO!.