Pirate Streams Since UFC 1 in 1993, I have been a huge fan of mixed martial arts. Since then, I’ve seen the majority of pay-per-views and have seen how broadcast quality has changed over time. Pay Per View was the only option to watch these live mixed martial arts tournaments back then because there was no Internet.
Alternatively, you could watch the fights on a VHS tape that you rent from your neighborhood video store.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, each UFC event back then was run like a competition in which fighters would square off several times in a single evening! Each year, there were very few of these.
As the sport gained popularity, state athletic commissions began to regulate the matches in a manner akin to that of boxing. Presently, the UFC stands as one of the largest sports organizations globally, with events taking place nearly every Saturday. The UFC, the subject of this article, currently has ESPN as its broadcast partner.
1. Yes, this is intended to be a discussion, so please share your thoughts below.
ESPN+ is the app that broadcasts UFC Pay Per View events. You have to pay for both your ESPN+ subscription and the UFC Pay Per View that you wish to watch. $10.99 a month, or $109.99 annually if you pay in full for the full year, is the cost of an ESPN+ subscription. Then, each UFC Pay Per View is $79.99. Every year, there are about twelve UFC PPV events, and every other Saturday, there is a “Fight Night” that airs on the ESPN+ app and/or the channel itself.
The UFC is a prominent proponent of preventing online sport piracy and has testified before Congress to support modifications to copyright regulations. Typically, untrusted IPTV service subscriptions and free sports streaming websites carry all UFC events.
Since purchasing through the legal option supports the fighters and is entirely legal, TROYPOINT has always advised doing so. Furthermore, the official app should offer better quality, but does it? Not so quickly!
Luke Thomas, one of my favorite MMA journalists, recently went on a rant about how awful the ESPN+ service is. It just doesn’t work, and I’ll share my own, numerous similar experiences with you below his video.
LUKE THOMAS: ESPN+ Is THE WORST Streaming Service in SPORTS
Luke does an excellent job of thoroughly describing the suffering that ESPN+ subscribers endure in order to legally watch UFC events. He mentions in his video that he spoke with an ESPN+ representative for an hour on the phone. It is sufficient to search elsewhere for a better solution after that hour.
This raises the question, “Is IPTV and pirate streaming more dependable than ESPN+?” They are, in my experience, indeed.
The main issue I’ve had with the ESPN+ app is that it keeps buffering or freezes the screen entirely, making it impossible to watch. I switch on my unverified IPTV service at that point, and it functions flawlessly and without any hiccups. If you’ve already paid for the official stream, is it still acceptable to access a pirated one? I experienced the same thing when I watched the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather bout on UFC Fight Pass. All I had to do was buffer using the legal option, but my IPTV service worked flawlessly.
charging for Pay Per View purchases, wouldn’t the UFC be better off charging nothing for their events to attract a much larger audience and profit from advertising? Or, given that their broadcasts are jam-packed with advertisements, does the UFC know exactly how many of its events are watched for free online and they don’t seem to care? I recall the days when we had to pay for PPV events, and not a single advertisement was displayed. No longer the case!
The younger generation will never think to pay for something like this, so it’s only a matter of time until PPV and cable/satellite are obsolete. It won’t take them long to locate a free stream online or create an ESPN+ account.
Do ESPN+ technical issues cause users to turn to free or inexpensive solutions? Instead of
I’m interested in hearing what you think about this, so please leave a comment below.
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Concerning the Writer
Sorin has worked in technology for 15 years and is an authority on Internet security. In 2009, he launched TROYPOINT.com, a website that offers news, reviews, and home technology tutorials with an emphasis on cord-cutting. Since he modified the original Xbox in 2002 and installed XBMC (now Kodi) so he could stream movies on his home network, Troy has enjoyed this pastime.