UFC confirm three-year 'landmark deal' with BT Sport in UKand Ireland It will mark an innovative move for BT Sport. Simon Green, Head of BT Sport, said: "We're delighted to have signed this agreement with UFC. We've said BT Sport will offer a wide range of sports that appeal to different audiences and we know that UFC has a huge, committed fanbase in the UK and Ireland and we hope they will be excited about our plans to develop the coverage of the sport. The new UFC/BT Sport deal will result in up to 400 hours of TV programming a year to the UFC's loyal fanbase, which has previously watched the world's leading mixed martial arts promotion on Setanta and, for the last three years, ESPN. BT will begin airing UFC programming from the summer, with the premiere event live on August 3, the superfight between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and the American Anthony Pettis, live from Brazil. The new agreement will allow audiences to access a wider range of programming, including more than 30 live broadcasts from around the globe and additional localised and original content, which will help to grow interest in the UFC. UFC fans will be able to watch all of their favourite programming on the BT Sport channels including current favourite, The Ultimate Fighter®, which is the world's longest running sports reality TV show. UFC adds to prestigious roster of elite sports being shown on the BT Sport channels including Barclays Premier League football, FA Cup, Aviva Premiership Rugby union and the WTA tour. UFC's EMEA growth has been unprecedented and continues to define the sports landscape with recent shows in London and Stockholm selling out and showcasing some of the UK and Ireland's up and coming talent. In 2012 there were over 11,000,000 UK visits to the UFC official website, and the organisation plans to announce further shows in the country to continue to build its fan base and assist the launch of this broadcast relationship. Cook added: "This agreement is a landmark step in UFC's development in the UK as it will increase our exposure to a much wider and more mainstream sporting audience. It means that the UK joins USA, Canada, Australia and Brazil as one of our largest TV broadcast markets. BT Sport certainly shares our vision for the premium quality broadcast of elite performance sport for our UK audience and we're very excited about the strategic partnership we've entered into. We look forward to working alongside them and showing a wider fan base how exciting and engaging the UFC is.