ESPN raises the price of UFC pay-per-views starting in January with McGregor vs. Cowboy

ESPN will require a few more dollars to watch UFC pay-per-views in 2020.

On Wednesday, ESPN announced plans to increase the cost of UFC pay-per-view broadcasts from the current $59.99 price point to $64.99 starting with the highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor as he faces Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone on Jan. 18.

UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy takes place in Las Vegas with the pay-per-view airing exclusively through the ESPN app.

The change in price comes after costs were initially dropped down to $59.99 after the UFC inked an exclusive deal with ESPN as their broadcast partner for pay-per-views.

“This price change represents a return to the price that UFC fans traditionally paid, prior to ESPN+ decreasing the PPV price for most of 2019,” ESPN representatives said in a statement to Variety.

New ESPN+ subscribers will still be able to get a discounted rate when paying for UFC 246 along with a one-year subscription to the Disney owned service at $84.98. ESPN+ remains $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.

ESPN became the exclusive home for UFC broadcasts in 2019 following a seven-year deal with FOX. The UFC then upped its deal with ESPN to include pay-per-view broadcasts where it’s believed the promotion receives a fee for each show regardless of total sales for any particular card.