ESPN+ Makes UFC 313 Free After Technical Fiasco Leaves Fans Furious
The UFC 313 streaming debacle just took another wild turn. After thousands of fans were left staring at loading screens instead of watching the action on Saturday night, ESPN+ has made an unprecedented move to save face.
I’ve covered MMA for years, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this.
ESPN+ Offers UFC 313 For Free Following Massive Technical Meltdown
ESPN+ has announced they’re making the entire UFC 313 event available for free to everyone – not just subscribers who purchased the pay-per-view. This comes after what can only be described as a complete technical meltdown during Saturday’s event that left countless fans unable to stream the fights they paid for.
Let’s be real – Dana White must be absolutely livid right now.
What Went Wrong With the UFC 313 Stream?
According to multiple reports, the ESPN+ platform simply couldn’t handle the traffic. The main card featured some of the most anticipated matchups of the year, and as viewers flooded in, the service crumbled under the pressure.
Social media exploded with angry fans. One Twitter user wrote: “I just paid $80 to watch a buffering symbol for 3 hours.” Another chimed in: “Dana always complains about illegal streaming but ESPN+ is making his case for him.”
The Financial Fallout
This free offering isn’t just a goodwill gesture – it’s damage control. The UFC and ESPN are looking at potentially millions in refund requests. By making the event free, they’re hoping to:
- Appease angry customers who couldn’t watch live
- Prevent mass chargebacks on credit cards
- Salvage their reputation after an embarrassing failure
How to Watch UFC 313 For Free
If you missed the action or couldn’t get through the technical issues, here’s how you can catch all the fights now:
- Visit the ESPN+ website or open the app
- The entire UFC 313 event should be available without any purchase requirement
- No ESPN+ subscription is needed – it’s open to everyone
This unusual move marks the first time ESPN+ has made a major UFC PPV available completely free to non-subscribers after the fact.
Fan Reaction: From Fury to Satisfaction
The reaction from the MMA community has been mixed. While many appreciate the free access, others who struggled through buffering and crashes during the live event feel it’s too little, too late.
One longtime UFC fan I spoke with summed it up perfectly: “Cool that it’s free now, but I already missed the live experience. You can’t get back that moment when a championship changes hands and you’re watching it with friends.”
What This Means for Future UFC Events
This disaster raises serious questions about ESPN+’s ability to handle major UFC events going forward. With the streaming service being the exclusive home of UFC pay-per-views, they’ll need to make significant infrastructure improvements before the next big card.
The UFC’s partnership with ESPN has been lucrative, but incidents like this could push the promotion to reconsider their exclusive arrangement when the current deal expires.
Will Fans Get Refunds?
While making the event free is a step in the right direction, many fans who purchased the PPV are still demanding refunds. ESPN hasn’t made an official statement regarding automatic refunds, but customer service representatives have reportedly been processing refund requests on a case-by-case basis.
If you purchased UFC 313 and experienced technical difficulties, I’d recommend contacting ESPN+ support directly.
Bottom Line: A Night to Forget for ESPN and the UFC
This streaming disaster will go down as one of the biggest technical failures in UFC broadcast history. While making the event free afterward helps, it doesn’t erase the frustration thousands of fans experienced on fight night.
As a longtime MMA journalist, I’ve seen the UFC weather many storms, but this one might have lasting consequences for how they distribute their product in the future.
What do you think? Was making UFC 313 free the right move, or should ESPN be doing more to make this right? Let me know in the comments.
Source: Vox Media