UFC CEO Dana White stated that former WWE owner Vince McMahon played a key role in preventing a major UFC deal with NBC.
In 2011, seeking a new broadcast partner after outgrowing Spike TV, the UFC received several offers. White said NBC`s offer was the best, and a deal was almost finalized.
Speaking on Stephanie McMahon`s podcast, White recounted, “We were very close to an NBC deal. My condition was to have `The Ultimate Fighter` on USA Network. After days of negotiations in New York, they agreed.”
The next day, as they were set to sign, NBC executives revealed a shocking clause: Vince McMahon had the authority to veto any other combat sports programming on USA Network. White was stunned by this revelation.
WWE, with its flagship show Monday Night Raw, was a major program on USA Network. McMahon`s control extended to blocking other combat sports from the network.
This forced White and then-UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta to travel to WWE headquarters to negotiate with McMahon to salvage the NBC deal.
White continued, “Lorenzo and I flew to Connecticut to meet Vince. We explained the situation, but he simply said he didn`t want UFC on the network, without giving a specific reason.”
This rejection ended the NBC deal. The UFC considered buying G4 network but instead contacted FOX, leading to a deal with them. “The rest is history,” White concluded.
G4 was a network focused on video games and shows like `Attack of the Show`, which helped launch careers like Olivia Munn`s.
Because of McMahon`s veto, the UFC didn`t buy G4, didn`t partner with NBC, and instead signed with FOX for seven years.
White believes that not buying G4 was a blessing in disguise, potentially saving the UFC from a bad business decision.
White reflected, “Life is unpredictable. We don`t know what would have happened, but we believe buying G4 would have been detrimental.”
G4 shut down just three years later, proving White`s concerns might have been valid.
The FOX deal proved successful for both parties. In 2018, the UFC moved to ESPN for a $300 million/year deal and is currently seeking $1 billion/year in new broadcast rights negotiations.
White believes McMahon`s decision to block the NBC deal was due to viewing UFC as a rival, not a partner.
White added, “I think Vince felt the need to create a rivalry; it was his mindset.”
Ironically, McMahon later praised the UFC after WWE`s sale to Endeavor, which merged WWE and UFC into TKO Group Holdings. However, McMahon later resigned from TKO due to a lawsuit alleging serious misconduct.
