UFC Announces Distribution Deals In Japan

Added on Jan 25, 2011 by John Petit in

UFC & MMA

The UFC held a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, and Asia Executive Vice President and Managing Director Mark Fischer announced two new local UFC distribution deals. Fisher also stressed a strong interest in bringing the UFC back to Japan.

MMA Fans will be able to use their wireless devices for UFC content TV Bank or through NTT Plala’s “Hikari TV” in addition to the existing UFC WOWOW private satellite TV broadcast.

Fisher said they have plans to bring the UFC to Japan this year. He commented “Japan is the most advanced and important market for us in Asia so far. We definitely want to hold a major event in Japan as soon as possible. I would say that we’re not ready to announce anything yet but we very much hope to have fights later this year or early next year in Japan.”

This is a step forward for the UFC’s aggressive Asian expansion, but they are still lacking a network television contract that is essential in a country with only a small history of pay per view. Fisher continued “Today is a very important step in both expanding the number of Japanese fighters in the UFC as well as expanding our media platforms to bring the UFC to more fans than ever before. We want to make sure that any fan who wants to watch the UFC has the best access they can and, at the same time, reach new fans.”

Fisher also said they are aware of the need for a network deal, and are actively planning on ways to take the steps needed. He said “I think we have to create some customized content, maybe more highlight, educational- type programming rather than full-length events for terrestrial media, but I do think there are some ways to work with network television in Japan. In the meantime, we’ll expand in other areas of media. We’d certainly like to continue working with great partners like WOWOW in the pay-TV space and expand into different platforms with new media.”

This isn’t the first time the UFC has publicly stated “We are going to Japan.” In 2009, UFC President Dana White exclaimed “They’re going to have to kill me. That’s where they’re going to have to do. We’re coming there no matter what. We’re coming there. We’re going to break through this thing. We’re going to get past these dirty, sneaky, bad guys in Japan, and we’re going to make it happen. If I don’t get killed over in Japan…I’ll be amazed.”

The UFC has several barriers to get around to bring the fights over to Japan, but this is a big step for them. As the UFC takes a foothold using the media available to them, overtime they will certainly expand into network television.