Abu Dhabi Media agrees three-year broadcast deal with UFC

Abu Dhabi Media secures Mena rights to televise Ultimate Fighting Championship competitions for the next three years.

Anderson Silva kicks Demian Maia during their UFC Middleweight Championship bout at Yas Island. Stephen Lock / The National
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Abu Dhabi Media has secured the rights to broadcast Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitions in the Mena region for the next three years, the company has announced.

UFC is the most prominent of the mixed-martial arts (MMA) organisations, with programming in more than 150 countries and in 22 languages.

Abu Dhabi is considered the regional home of MMA, having hosted events in the past, including UFC 112, which played to a capacity crowd in 2010.

Saif Ghobash, the acting chief executive of Abu Dhabi Media, described the addition of UFC programming as a “prominent achievement” and said it paves the way “towards a successful year in which viewers will have access to an even greater variety of sports coverage”.

He added: “As per the terms of the agreement, Abu Dhabi sports channels will bring wide-spread UFC coverage to North Africa, as well as exclusive coverage to all countries in the Middle East; broadcasting across ADM’s free-to-air sports channels and encrypted platform. Coverage will also broadcast across Abu Dhabi TV Network’s online and mobile sites and through regional IPTV networks.”

Abu Dhabi sports also will air recorded and promotional material from the UFC, such as Fighter Profile, a behind-the-scenes looks at competitors, and Countdown, Road to the Octagon and weigh-ins.

Garry Cook, a UFC official, said: “This agreement will deliver brand exposure on a massive scale for UFC and will pave the way for increased UFC programming in the region, allowing more and more fans to engage and connect through a television partner that is committed to help grow the sport significantly.”

Abu Dhabi Media is the owner and publisher of The National.

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