Once again, it will soon get more expensive to be a UFC fan.
Starting with UFC 283, the standard price for UFC pay-per-view events on ESPN+ is set to be raised to $79.99, an increase from their current price of $74.99.
The Sports Business Journal on Wednesday broke the news.
The decision marks the fourth price increase for UFC pay-per-views since the promotion struck a broadcast deal with ESPN in 2019. The cost of UFC pay-per-views was previously raised in early 2020 from $59.99 to $64.99, then again to $69.99 at the beginning of 2021, then for a third time to $74.99 in 2022 beginning with UFC 270.
ESPN+, the subscription service required in order to purchase UFC pay-per-views, also recently raised its price by 43 percent in August from $6.99 a month to $9.99 a month.
UFC 283 takes place Jan. 21 and features two title bouts: Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill for the vacant light heavyweight belt, as well as a fourth showdown between flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and former titleholder Brandon Moreno.
Earlier this year, UFC president Dana White deflected any criticism regarding the previous price jump to his broadcast partners at ESPN.
“We don’t have any say in that,” White said.
“We gave the pay-per-views to ESPN, so yeah, that’s their decision. You know how I feel about that stuff. I don’t love when prices get raised, but it’s not my decision. It’s theirs.”
In a statement, ESPN’s parent company Disney told the Sports Business Journal on Wednesday that the latest price hike “reflects the value of ESPN+ and the popularity and quality of UFC events.”
