Syracuse bar in hot water after illegally streaming UFC fights

Let’s face it — the UFC is popular with males age 18-34. With the rise in streaming capability becoming easier by the day, so is the access to other Internet mediums, including illegal streaming.

Over two years after UFC president Dana White proclaimed he was “watching” an anonymous person’s house ahead of UFC 257, then headlined by Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier in their second fight, another incident arose just one week ago. This is the second known story related to pay-per-view access in 2023.

According to Syracuse.com’s Fernando Alba, a popular bar near the main campus of Syracuse University is being sued by the nearly 30-year-old promotion for illegally distributing UFC fights without a commercial license.

The UFC will look to obtain $110,000 in damages, as “Hungry Chuck’s” is alleged to have streamed UFC 283, the promotion’s first event of 2023, which included a $5 cover charge for all interested fans to watch the card unfold.

The UFC has a long-standing relationship with Joe Hand Promotions, as the company’s main responsibility is to ensure bars have adequate access to showing monthly pay-per-view events.

Bars who want to distribute the fights in-house have an agreement with Joe Hand Promotions, as they typically broadcast the fights on a select number of televisions through a special DirecTV feed not accessible to at-home customers. Rates to show the fight vary based on several factors.

Nonetheless, a stable landmark that is part of the on-campus community will likely not show pay-per-views again unless done properly. Regardless, it goes to show that while fans might choose to stream, it is not always the right ethical decision.

The UFC’s next pay-per-view culminates with Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 291 for the BMF strap. The event also goes head-to-head with the unification welterweight championship boxing match between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford, making it a tough choice for combat sports fans everywhere in choosing which fight to purchase.

Which fights are you watching this weekend, UFC or boxing? Let us know, Penn Nation!