Latest news with #BruceBuffer
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Media musical chairs are reshaping the sports landscape: Morning Brief
In the words of Bruce Buffer, the voice of the Octagon: "It's time!" Dealmaking is the main event in media world these days. And the fight to secure distribution rights took another turn in a fracturing, precarious, eat-or-be-eaten landscape that's remaking sports and how we consume them. The UFC is the latest sports franchise to change media hosts. On Monday, Paramount (PARA) struck a seven-year $7.7 billion deal to become the exclusive home of all UFC events in the US. The agreement allows Paramount to stream all 13 of the UFC's marquee numbered showcases and 30 "Fight Nights" on its platform, Paramount+. Some of the numbered events will be simulcast on Paramount's sister broadcast network, CBS. Sign up for the Yahoo Finance Morning Brief By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy The announcement comes less than a week after Paramount secured a long-awaited merger with Skydance Media, offering an early victory for the new management team and a culturally influential franchise to bolster its streaming platform. The deal represents a significant pay jump for TKO Group Holdings (TKO), the UFC's parent company. Its previous partnership with Disney's ESPN to distribute UFC fights was valued at about $550 million per year. In another changeup that underscores the UFC's hopes to grow its audience and the viewing dynamics of the streaming world, Paramount+ subscribers won't have to pay extra to watch UFC fights. This is a big deal: TKO and Paramount are moving away from the previous pay-per-view model. And the shift highlights the desire of streaming companies to beef up their offerings with variety, frequency, and recurring events. All this is happening as media companies are splintering and recombining to outlast the demise of the pay-TV bundle, leading to a great re-shuffling of sports licensing. Last week, ESPN reached a landmark deal with the National Football League to acquire NFL Network and other league media properties. Part of the deal, in a blurring of media distributor and sports league, will have the NFL take a 10% stake in ESPN. The NFL also has a content partnership with Skydance, giving it equity in CBS, another rights holder. The tech giants, always on the lookout for new eyeballs, are using their cash piles to push into sports too. In turn, leagues are pressing their advantage to command massive audiences, in what is arguably the last semblance of mass culture, to extract bigger sums for the privilege of showing their content. (Don't sleep on the Love Island viewing parties, though!) Amazon (AMZN), for instance, was happy to oblige the NBA. Prime Video was among the media platforms to score basketball rights after Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) lost a key media deal with the NBA. The soaring cost to air games, which ballooned to an overall package of $77 billion over 11 years, proved a crucial factor to Warner Bros.' loss. The media giant was on a trajectory to break itself up. And now a huge franchise has a new home. In a never-ending merger and spin-off saga, we can expect more sports media shakeups to come. Hamza Shaban is a reporter for Yahoo Finance covering markets and the economy. Follow Hamza on X @hshaban. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ESPN 71 commentary, broadcast team set: Who is on call for UFC Apex return?
The UFC closes it July schedule Saturday with UFC on ESPN 71, which goes down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there in "Sin City" to help guide viewers through the experience. Details of who will work as commentators and analysts for each event have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the situation, and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below. UFC on ESPN 71 broadcast The entire UFC on ESPN 71 card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ in the U.S. The main card lineup is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET following prelims slated to start at 6 p.m. ET. UFC on ESPN 71 desk analysts Veteran broadcaster Karyn Bryant serves as desk anchor and host at UFC on ESPN 71. Former Invicta FC champion Michelle Waterson-Gomez, "The Ultimate Fighter 15" winner Michael Chiesa and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans join her at the desk as analysts throughout the broadcast and on the post-fight show. UFC on ESPN 71 roving reporter UFC correspondent McKenzie Pavacich will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC on ESPN 71 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event. UFC on ESPN 71 octagon announcer It's time! Legendary octagon announcer Bruce Buffer will introduce the fighters before battle and read official bout results inside the cage at UFC on ESPN 71. UFC on ESPN 71 cageside commentators Brendan Fitzgerald will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC on ESPN 71. He'll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping and former UFC/WEC champion Dominick Cruz. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 108 commentary, broadcast team set for UFC Apex return
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bruce Buffer plans on being announcer at UFC 400: 'That's the goal'
Bruce Buffer is in it for the long haul with the UFC. The voice of the octagon, who is known for the catchphrase, "It's time!," debuted at UFC 8 in February 1996. Buffer is half brothers with renowned boxing announcer Michael Buffer, whom he reunited with in 1989. Currently 68, Buffer was asked how long he plans on announcing fights, and if he sees himself being there for UFC 400. "Yeah, I plan to – that's the goal," Buffer told Clocked N Loaded (h/t ESPN MMA). "Absolutely, no question. I've got to figure that would be another eight years or so. That's my plan. Everybody's replaceable. Just know, put it on my tombstone: I always just try to do the best job I could." Buffer's voice isn't just used in the octagon. He recently took his talents to horse racing for the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes in May. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Bruce Buffer plans on being announcer at UFC 400
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bruce Buffer plans on being announcer at UFC 400: 'That's the goal'
Bruce Buffer is in it for the long haul with the UFC. The voice of the octagon, who is known for the catchphrase, "It's time!," debuted at UFC 8 in February 1996. Buffer is half brothers with renowned boxing announcer Michael Buffer, whom he reunited with in 1989. Currently 68, Buffer was asked how long he plans on announcing fights, and if he sees himself being there for UFC 400. "Yeah, I plan to – that's the goal," Buffer told Clocked N Loaded (h/t ESPN MMA). "Absolutely, no question. I've got to figure that would be another eight years or so. That's my plan. Everybody's replaceable. Just know, put it on my tombstone: I always just try to do the best job I could." Buffer's voice isn't just used in the octagon. He recently took his talents to horse racing for the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes in May.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 318 commentary, broadcast teams set: Paul Felder in for absent Joe Rogan in NOLA
The eighth numbered UFC event of 2025 is just days away, with UFC 318 set to highlight the promotion's return to Louisiana after more than 10 years with Saturday's card at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there in "The Big Easy" to help guide viewers through the experience. Advertisement Details of who will be working as commentators and analysts for the show have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the plans – and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below. UFC 318 broadcast Smoothie King Center, New Orleans UFC 318's main card airs on pay-per-view/streams via ESPN+ pay-per-view for residents in the U.S. beginning at 10 p.m. ET. The preliminary-card lineup is slated to begin at 8 p.m. ET and airs on ESPN following early prelims, which begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and stream on ESPN+. UFC 318 roving reporter Heidi Androl Longtime UFC correspondent Heidi Androl will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 318 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event. Advertisement UFC 318 weigh-in show Daniel Cormier Dan Hellie will host the official UFC 318 weigh-in show on Friday at 10:50 a.m. ET/7:50 a.m. PT. He'll be joined by UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder, as well as former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. UFC 318 octagon announcer Bruce Buffer The most famous octagon announcer in history will do his thing once again at UFC 318 as legendary Bruce Buffer will introduce the fighters before battle. UFC 318 desk analysts Anthony Smith, UFC on ESPN 69 desk analyst Retired light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith, former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen, former UFC/WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, Alan Jouban and Teddy Atlas will serve as desk analysts on the UFC 318 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary. Advertisement Brendan Fitzgerald will serve as desk host. UFC 318 cageside commentators Daniel-Cormier and Paul-Felder Jon Anik will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 318. He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier and retired lightweight contender Paul Felder, who steps in for the absent Joe Rogan on a U.S.-based PPV event. Din Thomas will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 318 broadcast team set: Joe Rogan absent, Paul Felder fills in
