tvN SPORTS and TVING will broadcast exclusively until 2029
The first UFC event ‘UFC 324’ in 2026 will be held on January 25th
CJ ENM has extended the world’s best MMA group UFC broadcast rights. This extension will once again establish a long-term partnership with the UFC until 2029.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization and a member of the TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO). It is a global sports brand broadcasted in more than 210 countries and regions around the world, and has established itself as a cultural phenomenon beyond simple fighting sports. It also has a consistently loyal fan base in Korea.
사진 확대
Since 2022, CJ ENM has been introducing major UFC competitions and fighters’ storylines by expanding viewers’ contact points with a strategy that crosses TV and OTT through tvN SPORTS and TVING.
Through this contract extension, the UFC Numbud event and Fight Night pre-fight matches will be broadcast live, while original programs such as UFC Countdown, UFC Connected, and tournament ROAD TO UFC, which will provide promising players in the Asia-Pacific region with an opportunity to advance to the UFC, will also be introduced.
CJ ENM said, “Over the past four years, UFC broadcasts have created meaningful contacts with domestic fans, and accordingly, it has been able to extend the contract. In the future, we will continue to deliver the tension and narrative of the UFC and continue to work with domestic fighting sports fans, so I hope more domestic viewers will enjoy the UFC through tvN SPORTS and TVING,” he said.
Kevin Zhang, senior vice president of the UFC and general manager of Asia, said, “CJ ENM has delivered UFC’s excitement to fans through various platforms during the past four years of partnership. The partnership has taken the UFC’s reach in South Korea to unprecedented levels. I am very happy that CJ ENM will continue to be an official partner of the UFC in Korea.”
The first broadcast since the extension contract is “UFC 324,” the first UFC event in 2026, which will take place on January 25 (Sun). Justin Gaic and Paddy Pimblett will play a preliminary lightweight (70kg) championship match in a competition between the UFC’s fourth and fifth-ranked players. You can watch it live on tvN SPORTS and TVING.
CJ ENM is continuing its diversified sports content strategy by securing broadcast rights for a wide range of events, including UFC broadcast rights, KFA-hosted games, Korean professional basketball, and four major tennis Grand Slam broadcast rights.
[Kang Daeho, MK Sports Reporter]