Stephen Espinoza is an executive for Showtime and could be seen alongside Floyd Mayweather during the build up for The Money Fight.
The UFC’s broadcast deal with Fox ends at the end of 2018 and when it does, the Showtime executive says his network is interested in broadcasting UFC events.
“It would be silly not to,” Espinoza said on The MMA Hour. “We are not gonna support the organization on our own shoulders. Not [like] the FOX deal.”
Showtime has been the home to MMA organizations in the past, with both Elite XC, Strikeforce and M-1 Challenge airing events on the premium cable channel.
UFC President Dana White and Espinoza have had some disagreements in the past, but the Showtime executive says that will not stand in the way of a deal getting done.
“Dana and I have disagreed on some things, but my relationships over there are strong,” Espinoza said. “I like the guys. Virtually, almost all the team that was there in Strikeforce is still over there and I like dealing with them. I like them as people, I like them as individuals and I like them as business people. It’s not to say I don’t like Dana. He and I have had disagreements, which is fine. The NFL and I have disagreements sometimes. It happens.”
Currently, the only sport that airs on Showtime is professional boxing, as there have been no MMA events airing on the network since January of 2013 with Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine.
