• Multichannel News , Monday, October 8, 2007 10:45 AM

After a year of negotiations, the rumored distribution deal between Home Box Office and the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been choked out, with the net saying that it will not be airing live UFC events any time in the near future. "After lots of discussion, it became apparent that the business model doesn't make sense for either one of us," says Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports. "So we agreed to go our separate ways." However, he adds, "you never know what the future holds."

The UFC isn't talking--but in August, President Dana White virtually guaranteed a deal by the end of the year, telling one newspaper it would "definitely be in place for a winter fight." The breakdown in talks could be good news for Spike TV, which is hoping to extend its deal with the UFC before it expires next year.

The cable net has had enormous success with mixed martial arts, as a Sept. 8 airing of a championship fight featuring Quinton "Rampage" Jackson pulled 4.7 million viewers--the most-watched UFC event ever in North America and highest-rated non-World Wrestling Entertainment show in Spike's history.

Read the whole story at Multichannel News »