Bell Media’s TSN and RDS to partner with Fight Network to produce original content,
broadcast international events and Fight Night Prelims
TORONTO (December 22, 2014) – TSN, RDS, Fight Network and UFC® today announced a
new multi-year agreement for Canadian media rights to UFC global events.
Bell Media’s TSN and RDS will deliver a slate of marquee UFC programming to fans across
multiple platforms, including major live events, preliminary fights of UFC Pay-Per-View
events, UFC Fight Night™ events, and The Ultimate Fighter® series.
Fight Network will broadcast all UFC Fight Night™ events from around the world as well as
preliminary bouts for domestic non-Pay-Per-View cards.
TSN and RDS will partner with Fight Network to produce an original live pre-fight program
before Pay-Per-View events that will air on Canada’s #1 sports networks. Additional shoulder
programming will air across TSN’s suite of five national feeds, giving UFC fans more access
to programming than ever before.
As part of the partnership, TSN, RDS and Fight Network will work together to provide
effective sales and marketing of UFC broadcasts in Canada.
“We are excited to join forces with TSN and RDS to provide UFC’s one-of-a-kind content in
English and French, through two of Canada’s most-watched specialty channels. On top of
that, we have an agreement with Fight Network that will perfectly complement this coverage,”
said Tom Wright, UFC Managing Director, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. “This is a
huge win for Canadian UFC fans as they will have more content on broadcast television than
ever before.”
“UFC is a marquee international property with a loyal and engaged Canadian fan base. UFC
content and support programming will be a tremendous addition to our slate of championship
events,” said Shawn Redmond, Vice-President of Programming and Marketing, TSN. “We are
also looking forward to working with Fight Network to showcase original UFC content across
our suite of five feeds.”
“We are thrilled to be entering into this prestigious multimedia partnership with UFC and Bell
Media’s TSN and RDS, and we look forward to working with our colleagues to grow the
UFC’s already significant fan base in Canada as well as helping to build the sport of mixed
martial arts at the grassroots level,” said Leonard Asper, CEO, Fight Network.
TSN kicks off its UFC coverage on Saturday, Jan. 3 with COUNTDOWN TO UFC 182:
JONES VS. CORMIER at 7 p.m. ET on TSN4 and TSN5. The countdown show leads into
two hours of UFC 182 preliminary fight coverage at 8 p.m. ET, which features Danny Castillo
vs. Paul Felder, Marcus Brimage vs. Cody Garbrandt, Shawn Jordan vs. Jarod Cannonier
and Evan Dunham vs. Rodrigo Damm.
Additional UFC programming will launch on TSN and RDS in early 2015 and includes UFC
NOW, UFC UNLEASHED, UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER, UFC COUNTDOWN, ROAD TO THE
OCTAGON, event weigh-ins and press conferences.
This announcement follows TSN and RDS’s new broadcast rights agreement with UEFA,
making the networks the new home of UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE and UEFA EUROPA
LEAGUE.
In addition to its live coverage, Fight Network will be producing live pre-fight programming,
live coverage of press conferences and weigh-ins, post-fight analysis, as well as library
programming highlighting UFC’s finest fighters and moments leading up to today.
About UFC
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the
premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the
world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao
Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell-out some of the
most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries
and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. In
2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live
events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also
licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts
and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition
program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight
Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading
Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.ca and follow UFC on Facebook at
www.Facebook.com/UFC, on Twitter @UFC_CA and Instagram @UFC.
About TSN
TSN is Canada's Sports Leader and #1 specialty network. With a broad portfolio of
multimedia sports assets, TSN delivers world-class content across its industry-leading
platforms including five national television feeds, TSN.ca, TSN GO, and TSN Radio stations
across the country. With more championship events than any broadcaster in the country,
TSN’s roster of live sports programming includes the Grey Cup, IIHF World Junior
Championship, FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, CFL, NFL, NBA, MLS, Toronto
Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Season of Champions Curling, UEFA Euro
2016, MLB, Barclays Premier League, Golf’s Majors, NASCAR, F1, Grand Slam Tennis,
NCAA March Madness, and Skate Canada and Rugby Canada events. TSN is a division of
Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications
company.
About RDS
RDS is Canada’s French-language sports broadcasting leader and Quebec’s #1 specialty
network. In addition to its world-class content delivered across multiple platforms, including
the RDS, RDS2 and RDS Info channels, RDS.ca website, RDS Mobile, RDS Télé mobile and
the RDS GO app, RDS offers the broadest portfolio of French-language sports programming
in the world. Official broadcaster of the Montreal Canadiens, CFL and Grey Cup, NFL and
Super Bowl, MLS and MLS Cup, MLB and World Series, FIFA World Cup soccer from 2015
to 2022 and Euro 2016 and exclusive French-language broadcaster of the Montreal
Alouettes, F1®, and the Tour de France, RDS’s various channels present almost 4,000 hours
of live programming each year, including Montreal Impact soccer, the IIHF World Junior
Championship, NASCAR, PGA Tour golf including all four majors, ATP tennis including all
four Grand Slam tournaments, Barclays Premier League soccer, NCAA March Madness
basketball, Seasons of Champions Curling and the Skate Canada International. RDS is a
division of Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest
communications company.
About Fight Network
Fight Network (www.fightnetwork.com) is the world’s premier combat sports network
dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, including fights, fighters, fight news and
fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S., all major carriers in Canada and over 30
countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and includes additional programming on
TSN Radio in Canada on Sirius XM Channel 167. Fight Network’s parent company Anthem
Media Group Inc. (www.anthemmediagroupinc.com) also owns Fantasy Sports Network and
a significant interest in the Pursuit Channel.
For More Information
UFC
Carolyn Blakely, (w) 416.987.4134 x234, (c) 416.809.4445, cblakely@ufc.com
TSN
Greg McIsaac, (w) 416.384.5180, (c) 416.458.3591, greg.mcisaac@bellmedia.ca
RDS
Simon Céré, (w) 514-529-2135, (c) (514) 754-3135, Simon.Cere@bellmedia.ca
Fight Network
Anthony Cicione, (w) 416.987.7841 x531, (c) 416.902.5002, anthony@fightnetwork.com