Steaming giant Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) could add another sports league to its growing lineup of sports content that includes NFL games, women's soccer and World Wrestling Entertainment.
What Happened: Netflix saw huge demand with a boxing card featuring Mike Tyson and Jake Paul last year and for its first-ever NFL games on Christmas Day.
In January, Netflix added WWE matches to its content of live sports.
Another sport could be in the mix with Netflix among the interested media outlets in getting the rights to UFC fights, which like WWE is also owned by TKO Group Holdings (NYSE:TKO).
UFC has had an exclusive rights deal with ESPN, a unit of Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS), since 2019.
Disney has an exclusive negotiating window with the UFC through April for the rights that kick in after the 2025 year. With the UFC looking for around double what ESPN is currently paying and recent technical issues for a UFC fight, the negotiating window could turn tense and leave things open for other interested parties.
Sources said that UFC management, including Dana White, were not happy with ESPN's handling of UFC 313 which suffered from streaming issues, as reported by the New York Post.
The UFC is looking for $1 billion or more annually in a new rights deal according to a report from SportsPro.
Along with Disney's interest in renewing the rights, other interested parties named in the report include Netflix, Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD).
Read Also: Netflix Q4 Earnings: Record Subscribers, NFL, ‘Squid Game’ Push Past ‘Highest Expectations’
Why It's Important: With ESPN potentially out of the picture, Netflix could emerge as a favorite given its strong showing of the boxing match last year and its deal with TKO-owned WWE.
While the Paul and Tyson fight also saw technical glitches, the number of people watching and Netflix's fix were viewed as positives for the overall demand and strength of Netflix's platform.
The UFC remains a powerhouse with pay-per-view and streaming exclusive fights on ESPN+. Netflix would likely get rights to offer some fights for free to its existing streaming subscribers while other fights would remain pay-per-view only.
Netflix also recently announced that it will stream a rematch of a boxing match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, which was part of the Tyson and Paul boxing card. A unanimous decision win for Taylor proved to be controversial in what Netflix called the "most-watched professional women's sports even in U.S. history."
The third match between the two boxers will stream live on Netflix on July 11, as reported by Variety. Netflix said the fight taking place at Madison Square Garden will be an all-women boxing card and stream for free to existing Netflix subscribers worldwide.
With or without the UFC, Netflix continues to be mentioned as a potential bidder on many sports rights and continues to add to its library of live and library sports content, a move that could boost subscribers and help with churn.
Price Action: TKO Group Holdings stock trades at $147.27 versus a 52-week trading range of $79.32 to $179.09. The stock is up 3.2% year-to-date in 2025 and up 81.2% over the last year.
Netflix stock trades at $919.68 versus a 52-week trading range of $542.01 to $1,064.50. The stock is up 3.7% year-to-date in 2025 and up 50.5% over the last year.
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