UFC lands broadcast TV deal in China

July 3, 9:50 PMMixed Martial Arts ExaminerEddie Graveline

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As if there was any prior doubt as to whether or not the sport of MMA is growing on a global level, there can definitely be none now. Earlier this week, the UFC announced that it had come to terms with Inner Mongolia Television (NMTV) on a broadcast partnership that will deliver the promotion's programming to the world's largest population base.

Starting this month, NMTV will air 1-4 hours of UFC programming on Saturdays and Sundays, from 1:30 to 5:30 PM local time in languages specific to the various provinces. The agreement calls for up to 16 hours of UFC programming per month, including episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter," "UFC Unleashed," and "UFC: All Access," plus a provision to air previous pay-per-view fight broadcasts.

NMTV reaches 60 million households throughout China, representing 240 million potential viewers. That number is staggering by itself, but when you consider the fact that China is the birthplace of Kung Fu and other martial arts, it's probably safe to assume that the Chinese fan base is as knowledgeable as it is large. It will probably take a while to see how this will affect the UFC's bottom line, but this deal has the potential to be a landmark, not just for the organization, but the sport as a whole.