Originally Posted by
scointer:
“Not happy with it's 'NEW' home. That would suggest SKY then as BT would be it's same home
”
Worth noting that Popeye13 never used the word 'new', it was another poster who asked popeye13 if he was happy with the "new home".
I assume that popeye13's reply was in reference to the new contract and not the fact that it will or will not be a new broadcast partner.
Given the fact that BT are now showing the UFC Live Ultimate Fighter finale the night before UFC 200, I would say this also points to BT and the UFC continuing their partnership.
I know that some have said that it may be a kind of 'thank you' to BT and the UFC has given them the Ultimate Fighter Live finale, but that is not how business works, and certainly not how UFC would act given the way it has previously treated BT.
Therefore when you take all these things into account, if I was a betting man I would put my cash of an new BT-UFC deal. There is only one square that doesn't fit in the round hole of my thinking. For that we need to go back to a point I raised with popeye13 a couple of days ago.
I said in that point that as a rule of thumb, when the current broadcast partner signs a new deal it is normally announced very quickly after the agreement is signed, in a low-key press release, something like this:-
Today the {Name of Sporting Organisation/Rights Management Company} has signed a new {x} year agreement with {Broadcaster}. This agreement extends {Broadcaster}'s coverage of {the sport/event} until {month & year for the end of the contract}.
You would then usual get a printed quote from both the right holder and the broadcast partner to finish off the press release.
It is this that makes me have doubts about BT having the new rights. Why not just announce an 'extention' of BT's coverage and that would be that. There are only 2 reasons I can think of (other than BT not having the new broadcast rights):-
1) The UFC &/or BT want to make the announcement live on the air, possible at UFC 200.
2) A new BT-UFC contract is significantly different that the previous one (possible thanks to UFC Fight Pass) so it may be that there is less UFC on BT with more on Fight Pass.