{"id":531231,"date":"2022-12-23T21:34:30","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T18:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/dana-white-credits-cocaine-scandal-for-ufcs-espn-windfall\/"},"modified":"2022-12-23T21:34:30","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T18:34:30","slug":"dana-white-credits-cocaine-scandal-for-ufcs-espn-windfall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dana-white-credits-cocaine-scandal-for-ufcs-espn-windfall\/","title":{"rendered":"#Dana White credits cocaine scandal for UFC&#8217;s ESPN windfall"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a357ee866851\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a357ee866851\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dana-white-credits-cocaine-scandal-for-ufcs-espn-windfall\/#%E2%80%9CDana_White_credits_cocaine_scandal_for_UFCs_ESPN_windfall%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Dana White credits cocaine scandal for UFC&#8217;s ESPN windfall&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CDana_White_credits_cocaine_scandal_for_UFCs_ESPN_windfall%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Dana White credits cocaine scandal for UFC&#8217;s ESPN windfall&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>Dana White believes a cocaine scandal led to the UFC getting a blockbuster deal from ESPN.<\/p>\n<p>The UFC president spoke to Grant Cardone about how former ESPN president John Skipper did not want to bring the MMA promotion to the network. However, his 2017 resignation opened up a path.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll tell you a crazy story,\u201d White said, as covered <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/platform\/amp\/2022\/12\/23\/23523911\/dana-white-reveals-cocaine-scandal-that-led-to-ufcs-espn-broadcast-deal\">by MMA Mania<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cYou ever hear of John Skipper? John Skipper ran ESPN. Now, I think he runs DAZN. Runs ESPN, beloved, looks like the squarest dude on the planet. Older guy. Hates UFC. Hates it. Hates UFC. Big soccer guy. For whatever reason, people like different things. And I\u2019m not sh-ting on John Skipper. But this is a fact, this h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened and this is a true story.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJohn Skipper, beloved at ESPN, ESPN\u2019s at the top of their <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>,\u201d White continued. \u201cThese guys are killing it in revenue, they\u2019re getting $5 per subscriber when cable was the biggest it\u2019s ever been. So, our FOX deal is up and we\u2019re probably not gonna do another deal with FOX. They\u2019re selling off cable networks and re-structuring. So they\u2019re not the same company when we signed with them. And John Skipper\u2019s never, ever gonna take the UFC. So, we\u2019re in a real tough place.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"DRUGS, BILLIONS BOXING &amp; THE UFC  - Dana White &amp; Grant Cardone\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mkm7kK9pKgI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Circumstances far beyond White\u2019s control would coalesce in his favor, and UFC would ultimately air on ESPN\u2019s streaming service, ESPN+. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJohn Skipper\u2019s cocaine dealer is gonna rat him out,\u201d White continued. \u201cSo he has to tell Disney \u2018My cocaine dealer is gonna go public\u2019 or whatever, so he has to step down from ESPN, right at the time we\u2019re trying to make a new TV deal. Who do they make president? Jimmy Pitaro, who ran Yahoo! Sports for years. I\u2019ve known him a long time. He\u2019s a great dude, and he loves the UFC. Now you got him, you got a guy named Kevin Mayer, who is really close to [Endeavor CEO] Ari [Emanuel], and we ended up doing the ESPN deal when our deal was up.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1422053444.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Dana White credited a cocaine scandal with enabling UFC to leave Fox for ESPN.\" class=\"wp-image-25116778\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1422053444.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1422053444.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Dana White credited a cocaine scandal with enabling UFC to leave Fox for ESPN.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Zuffa LLC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1185738712.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"John Skipper founded Meadowlark Media with Dan Le Batard in 2021.\" class=\"wp-image-25116777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1185738712.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-1185738712.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>John Skipper founded Meadowlark <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Media<\/a> with Dan Le Batard in 2021.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images for Fast Company<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Skipper, who <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-features\/john-skipper-details-espn-exit-cocaine-extortion-plot-1094657\/\">told ESPN book author Jim Miller<\/a> about how he was extorted by a cocaine dealer, has landed since the scandal. Early last year, he left DAZN to launch Meadowlark Media with fellow ESPN ex-pat Dan Le Batard. They quickly landed a $50 million content licensing deal with DraftKings, and later agreed to a first-look deal with Apple for documentaries and scripted <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a>. Last month, they <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebiglead.com\/posts\/good-rivals-trailer-amazon-meadowlark-sky-sports-united-states-mexico-01ggyxxj57cn\">debuted a three-part docuseries on Amazon<\/a> covering the soccer rivalry between the United States and Mexico.\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/12\/23\/dana-white-credits-cocaine-scandal-for-ufcs-espn-windfall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Dana White credits cocaine scandal for UFC&#8217;s ESPN windfall&#8221; Dana White believes a cocaine scandal led to the UFC getting a blockbuster deal from ESPN. The UFC president spoke to Grant Cardone about how former ESPN president John Skipper did not want to bring the MMA promotion to the network. However, his 2017 resignation opened&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":531232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/newspress-collage-25116151-1671815759771.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1671797836&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[137636,73462,2837,78767,128602,70433,71715],"class_list":["post-531231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-12-23-22","tag-dana-white","tag-espn","tag-jimmy-pitaro","tag-john-skipper","tag-sports-media","tag-ufc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=531231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/531232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=531231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=531231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=531231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}