ESPN’s subscription streaming service logged a record amount of additions this weekend amid the debut of UFC Fight Night. The event’s success once again highlights the use of combat sports as a way for media companies to compete in a crowded over-the-top space.
ESPN+ gained a combined 568,000 new subscribers on Friday and Saturday. The vast majority of those—525,000—signed up on Saturday alone, in the lead up to the nighttime event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ featured 13 live fights, headlined by a bout between Henry Cejudo and TJ Dillashaw. Cejudo successfully defended his flyweight championship against Dillashaw, a bantamweight champion.