Check out part one to this piece right here!
And Now, The Conclusion…
So, while you take down those Christmas decorations and get ready to recycle that tree in the coming days (if you were among those families to use a live one this past festive season), take a moment to look at our fresh start for 2024.Without any further ado, it’s time to kick off this new year the right way. Luckily, the trusty crystal ball is still here from last time.
Expect ABC to Use Some Saturday Windows for UFC in 2024
Since September of 2006, ABC has used the Saturday evening time slot to its advantage. Every weekend from the Saturday directly prior to Labor Day to the first weekend in December, the network will program a college football game in the 7:30 pm ET timeslot as the final game of a day-long tripleheader of action.
In the 2023 season, this stretch of time was expanded to Week Zero of the college football season thanks to ABC’s coverage of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, an annual kickoff game matching two HBCU programs from Center Parc Stadium (formerly Turner Field, the onetime home ballpark of the Atlanta Braves) in Atlanta. Beyond that, the network has used winter and spring Saturday nights for NBA coverage under the umbrella title NBA Saturday Showcase, instead of what used to be a doubleheader game on a Sunday afternoon.
Despite ABC airing the final of the NBA In-Season Tournament on Dec. 9 in what’s usually the NBA Saturday Showcase timeslot, it won’t be utilized for games, at least in January. Each Wednesday night this month, ABC will air a game at 8:30 pm ET/ 5:30 pm PT, beginning this week with the Chicago Bulls taking on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
While Saturday coverage will resume on Jan. 27 with a tripleheader of games, there are still windows later in the year that can be used for the UFC. The network has turned over some of its airtime to the fights in the past, so it isn’t too far-fetched of a prediction to make here.
Summer Windows Would Work Best
Oftentimes, ABC has used primetime windows for UFC on nights where marquee pay-per-views are scheduled, airing the “late” prelims at 8 pm ET with some matinees for UFC Fight Night cards. Saturday is generally thought of as a throwaway night for television. If a network isn’t running a live sporting event on that evening, there’s only one other option: Reruns, reruns, and more reruns, followed by the 11 o’clock news.
The summer season is a slow time for sports. In July, networks are thirsting for live material to put on the air. What could be better than the UFC?
Any Saturday night after the summer solstice would be a great night for the UFC on ABC. With the only real competition being baseball and MLS, what would they have to lose?
Conor McGregor Will Beat Michael Chandler in June
Eight years ago at this time, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was a household name in the sport. When this decade launched, he was just a few short weeks away from headlining UFC 246 versus Donald Cerrone.
McGregor stopped Cerrone in just 40 seconds with a thunderous knockout. Since then, he’s been mostly inactive in the cage, only appearing twice, including in July of 2021, and we all remember what happened there.
It’s been around 2 1/2 years since that fight and that broken leg. Since then, fans have wondered when he might return to the cage. Over the weekend, we got our answer.
International Fight Week is in fact slated for June 29 in Vegas. First time that IFW will be in June. It’s usually that first or second Saturday in July.
McGregor wanted to fight at 300. He pushed hard for it. He was ready, I’m told. But after meeting with the brass last week…
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 31, 2023
Conor McGregor is currently forecast to fight former Bellator stalwart Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC)on June 29 on pay-per-view during the UFC’s International Fight Week. Even though he’s been away for a long time, there’s a decent chance that he can come away with the win.
Training Camp is Key
A marathon hiatus is often detrimental to a fighter’s career, however, Conor McGregor is at the point in his professional life where he’s only accepting the fights and taking the assignments that make the most sense to him. Once the June 29 contest is officially booked and the contract is signed, the time will come for McGregor to buckle down and focus.
Chandler’s been on a hiatus of his own, though it hasn’t been nearly as long as McGregor’s. He’s not appeared inside the cage since November of 2022.
If McGregor has a phenomenal training camp and doesn’t use head games against Michael Chandler, this fight is his.
Expect ESPN to Use UFL Games to UFC’s Advantage
Finally, another prediction from the broadcasting arena. On New Year’s Eve, after weeks of speculation and hearsay, two spring football leagues merged to become one.
In an official announcement on FOX NFL Sunday, the XFL and USFL officially combined to form the new United Football League. Kickoff of week one of the regular season is slated for Saturday, March 30 with a game between the Arlington Renegades of the XFL and the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL.
ESPN and ABC will split broadcasting duties of games with FOX Sports and FS1. Although the full schedule has yet to be revealed aside from the Renegades/ Stallions game on opening day, ESPN can use its coverage of the new league to bolster the UFC.
Network Has to Play Its Cards Right
Although most of the UFC’s events will be seen over ESPN+, some will undoubtedly be seen on ESPN proper. Think about this for a moment: Suppose ESPN airs a UFL game on a Saturday afternoon around 3 pm ET.
If it happens to be a good game, the UFC undercard will get a sizable chunk of the football audience, but again, ESPN needs to deploy the right strategy here, or else it won’t work. The ball is in ESPN’s court here.
Enjoy The Fights!
Here’s hoping your 2024 is off to a great start! Good luck to everyone over the next 12 months. Stay tuned because the fights are back later this week.
