TORONTO – The UFC is shifting broadcast partners in Canada at the start of 2024, and company executive Dave Shaw expects more in-depth coverage of the sport in “The Great White North.”
The octagon is set to return to Toronto for the first time since December 2018 with UFC 297, which takes place Jan. 20 at Scotiabank Arena and airs on pay-per-view. The timing of the event lines up perfectly with UFC’s renewed partnership with Sportsnet, which held its English-language broadcast rights from Sept. 2011-Dec. 2014 before a move to Bell-owned rival network TSN.
UFC’s contract with TSN expired on Dec. 31, and it recently announced a return to Sportsnet is coming in 2024 under the terms of a new multi-year agreement, with TVA serving as the French-language broadcast partner. UFC Senior VP of International Operations said negotiations have been ongoing for nearly 18 months, and ultimately the return to the Rogers-owned Sportsnet was the best path forward.
