Multichannel News is reporting that Spike TV will pay upwards of $100 million to continue its role as the cable TV home of the Ultimate Fighting Championship for at least a few more years. Although there had been previous reports that either ESPN or HBO would make a big bid for UFC, Spike and UFC have had such a symbiotic relationship -- especially in the way the reality show The Ultimate Fighter made both the channel and the sport more popular -- that it makes sense for them to stay together.
The agreement will apparently include more live UFC events on Spike, but make no mistake: UFC still makes most of its money from pay per view, and that won't change. This is mostly about The Ultimate Fighter and second-tier UFC events, and as far as that goes, it sounds like a good deal for both sides.
Get the latest gear
