UFC 89 to air for free on Spike

TFK · Jul 3, 2008

http://mmajunkie.com/news/4715/ufc-89-expected-to-air-via-tape-delay-on-spike-tv.mma

UFC 89, an event headlined by Michael Bisping vs. Chris Leben, is expected to air on free basic cable as a Spike TV broadcast.

Although a Spike TV official told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the station has no comment at this time, a source close to the event says show organizers plan to air the thee-hour broadcast in prime time via tape delay from The National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.

Dave Meltzer first reported in the Wrestling Observer that the event would air on Spike TV.

If everything goes to plan, UFC 89 will use the broadcast blueprint used for UFC 70 and UFC 75, two other events that took place in England. After the event takes place live overseas, U.S. audiences (on the East coast, anyway) will get the broadcast on an approximate five-hour delay.

Although the current UFC-Spike TV contract (which runs through 2011) calls for four annual "UFC Fight Night" events, the two parties ocassionally negotiate for other shows, such as the "Ortiz vs. Shamrock III: The Final Chapter" live event that aired in October 2006.
Spike TV pays a flat fee for the broadcast rights and then sells advertising to recoup the costs.

According to Meltzer, the UFC plans to hold a pay-per-view event the weekend after UFC 89. The Spike TV broadcast would serve as a way to promote the event.

For the latest on UFC 89, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
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UFC 89 to air for free on Spike

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UFC 89 to air for free on Spike

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