Posted by MikeT23 on 8/4/2014 3:36:00 PM (view original):
Do you think FOX just decided to create FS1 and PRESTO!!!! it was there?
Well, obviously I'm sure they were starting the movements towards it, but the UFC deal was done in 2011 and the stated plan was for the cable events to be on FX. As opposed to the MLB deal which was less than a year before launch and FS1 was specified.
But regardless of where FS1 was in the process at the time, broadcast TV rights and cable rights are 2 different things. UFC had cable exposure already and I'm sure they wanted the network exposure and made that part of the contract they were looking. Obviously networks could have told them to pound sand, but at least one didn't. FOX signed for 4 broadcast TV events a year - they can't just unilaterally move those events to cable because they'd rather have it there now.