TSN, RDS and Fight Network Become the New Canadian Home for UFC® Content in Multi-Year Media Deal

TORONTO 

Bell Media’s TSN and RDS will deliver a slate of marquee UFC programming to fans across multiple platforms, including major live events, preliminary fights of UFC Pay-Per-View events, UFC Fight Night^™ events, and The Ultimate Fighter^® series. 

Fight Network will broadcast all UFC Fight Night^™ events from around the world as well as preliminary bouts for domestic non-Pay-Per-View cards. 

TSN and RDS will partner with Fight Network to produce an original live pre-fight program before Pay-Per-View events that will air on Canada’s #1 sports networks. Additional shoulder programming will air across TSN’s suite of five national feeds, giving UFC fans more access to programming than ever before. 

As part of the partnership, TSN, RDS and Fight Network will work together to provide effective sales and marketing of UFC broadcasts in Canada. 

“We are excited to join forces with TSN and RDS to provide UFC’s one-of-a-kind content in English and French, through two of Canada’s most-watched specialty channels. On top of that, we have an agreement with Fight Network that will perfectly complement this coverage,” said Tom Wright, UFC Managing Director, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. “This is a huge win for Canadian UFC fans as they will have more content on broadcast television than ever before.”

“UFC is a marquee international property with a loyal and engaged Canadian fan base. UFC content and support programming will be a tremendous addition to our slate of championship events,” said Shawn Redmond, Vice-President of Programming and Marketing, TSN. “We are also looking forward to working with Fight Network to showcase original UFC content across our suite of five feeds.”

“We are thrilled to be entering into this prestigious multimedia partnership with UFC and Bell Media’s TSN and RDS, and we look forward to working with our colleagues to grow the UFC’s already significant fan base in Canada as well as helping to build the sport of mixed martial arts at the grassroots level,” said Leonard Asper, CEO, Fight Network.

TSN kicks off its UFC coverage on Saturday, Jan. 3 with COUNTDOWN TO UFC 182: JONES VS. CORMIER at 7 p.m. ET on TSN4 and TSN5. The countdown show leads into two hours of UFC 182 preliminary fight coverage at 8 p.m. ET, which features Danny Castillo vs. Paul Felder, Marcus Brimage vs. Cody Garbrandt, Shawn Jordan vs. Jarod Cannonier and Evan Dunham vs. Rodrigo Damm.  

Additional UFC programming will launch on TSN and RDS in early 2015 and includes UFC NOW, UFC UNLEASHED, UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER, UFC COUNTDOWN, ROAD TO THE OCTAGON, event weigh-ins and press conferences.

This announcement follows TSN and RDS’s new broadcast rights agreement with UEFA, making the networks the new home of UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE and UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE.

In addition to its live coverage, Fight Network will be producing live pre-fight programming, live coverage of press conferences and weigh-ins, post-fight analysis, as well as library programming highlighting UFC’s finest fighters and moments leading up to today.

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC^®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell-out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe.

UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content.

The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.ca and follow UFC on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/UFC, on Twitter @UFC_CAand Instagram @UFC.

About TSN

TSN is Canada’s Sports Leader and #1 specialty network. With a broad portfolio of multimedia sports assets, TSN delivers world-class content across its industry-leading platforms including five national television feeds, TSN.ca, TSN GO, and TSN Radio stations across the country. With more championship events than any broadcaster in the country, TSN’s roster of live sports programming includes the Grey Cup, IIHF World Junior Championship, FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, CFL, NFL, NBA, MLS, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Season of Champions Curling, UEFA Euro 2016, MLB, Barclays Premier League, Golf’s Majors, NASCAR, F1, Grand Slam Tennis, NCAA March Madness, and Skate Canada and Rugby Canada events. TSN is a division of Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company.

About RDS

RDS is Canada’s French-language sports broadcasting leader and Quebec’s #1 specialty network. In addition to its world-class content delivered across multiple platforms, including the RDS, RDS2 and RDS Info channels, RDS.ca website, RDS Mobile, RDS Télé mobile and the RDS GO app, RDS offers the broadest portfolio of French-language sports programming in the world.

Official broadcaster of the Montreal Canadiens, CFL and Grey Cup, NFL and Super Bowl, MLS and MLS Cup, MLB and World Series, FIFA World Cup soccer from 2015 to 2022 and Euro 2016 and exclusive French-language broadcaster of the Montreal Alouettes, F1®, and the Tour de France, RDS’s various channels present almost 4,000 hours of live programming each year, including Montreal Impact soccer, the IIHF World Junior Championship, NASCAR, PGA Tour golf including all four majors, ATP tennis including all four Grand Slam tournaments, Barclays Premier League soccer, NCAA March Madness basketball, Seasons of Champions Curling and the Skate Canada International. RDS is a division of Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company.

About Fight Network

Fight Network (www.fightnetwork.com) is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S., all major carriers in Canada and over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and includes additional programming on TSN Radio in Canada on Sirius XM Channel 167. Fight Network’s parent company Anthem Media Group Inc. (www.anthemmediagroupinc.com) also owns Fantasy Sports Network and a significant interest in the Pursuit Channel.