Here's how you can watch the UFC's first event on ESPN+ for free this weekend
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
- The UFC, the popular mixed marshal arts league started by Dana White, is one of the fastest growing sports in America.
- The league recently signed a deal with ESPN's new streaming service, ESPN+, cementing the UFC as a major player in the sports streaming industry.
- The first UFC event being streamed exclusively by ESPN+ is taking place on Saturday, January 19 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event features a flyweight championship match between TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cajudo.
- You can sign up for a free seven-day trial to ESPN+ here.
In an age where boxing's popularity is dwindling and the NFL is systematically attempting to lower violence in its league, some speculated that mixed martial arts and the UFC would not be able to capture a stronghold in the American sports landscape due to the physical intensity involved in the sport. But those notions have been proven false by the packed sports bars across the country when any major fight takes place.
There is undoubtedly a passionate fan base that follows the UFC diligently, but because it was taxing and expensive to watch these fights pay-per-view, there was an inherent hurdle to capturing the attention of the common fan. The UFC is hoping to gain popularity among this group by partnering with ESPN's new streaming service, ESPN+.
The first event that will be streamed live exclusively on ESPN+ is the flyweight championship match between two of the sport's major stars, TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cajudo. The event is taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, January 19. It will also feature a variety of fights throughout the night, including former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy and budding star Paige Vanzant.
This is a significant turning point for both the UFC and ESPN+.
By broadcasting its fights on the world's most well-known name in sports media, the UFC is establishing itself as a fixture as one of the major sports alongside basketball, football, baseball, and hockey. On the other hand, by offering these fights to be exclusively streamed on their platform, ESPN+ is banking on UFC loyalists to sign up for the service in order to watch their beloved sport, as well as converting existing subscribers into legitimate fighting fans.
If you don't already have an ESPN+ subscription, there are a few different options for how you can sign up and watch the fight on Saturday: We suggest signing up for a free seven-day trial to test out the service first. After that initial week is over, if you decide to keep it it is $4.99/month or $49.99 for a whole year. In addition to UFC events, the service includes hockey, college football and basketball, tennis, baseball, and other major sporting events.
You can stream ESPN+ on most popular devices, including the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Android and Apple mobile devices, amongst other options.