If you're looking to watch the highly anticipated Anderson Silva versus Michael Bisping fight on Saturday, don't turn to a TV pay-per-view channel. This UFC fight will only be available through UFC Fight Pass, the organization's digital streaming service, NBC News reported.
"We would fail ourselves if we only stayed in a silo and delivered it in the traditional way of distribution and content," said Eric Winter, UFC senior vice president and general manager of Fight Pass.
By making the London-based UFC Fight Night 83 matches only available through its own digital platform, the organization is breaking away from a decades-long tradition of combat sports events making themselves available through pay-per-view on premium cable networks like HBO and Showtime.
Winter said the decision isn't a sign that the UFC is moving away from TV, and that the company still enjoys its partnership with Fox. But, it does reflect that the UFC is seeing that its viewers want to watch content on their own time — and digital platforms like Fight Pass allow them to do that.
