Video: Dana White on new UFC Fight Pass vs. pay-per-view model

LAS VEGAS – The UFC today announced details about its new digital network, UFC Fight Pass. But don’t expect it to change the company’s pay-per-view plans.

Fans will need to bite the bullet and dish out a $9.99 monthly fee to get some main- and preliminary-card event streams, though the service also includes an exhaustive and impressive library of past fights.

But what does that mean for the $55 PPV price tags, as well as the UFC’s usual programming on FOX and FOX Sports 1? Not much, White said. Both will remain a key part of the UFC’s business.

So what about fans who follow sports such as the NFL, in which all broadcasts are free? White said the business models are just too different.

“The NFL gets $9 billion in their rights deal for television,” White said. “When FOX pays us $9 billion for our rights deal, we won’t do pay-per-view.”

In other words, PPV isn’t going anywhere.

Check out the full conversation above, and check out the UFC Fight Pass details.

For the latest on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.