"We try our best to respect the game and showcase and display it in a fashion that might be a little bit more appetizing for a different group of people that are watching alongside the best play commentators on Earth."
"For now, the man who once looked like the biggest risk ESPN ever took may actually be the network’s best example of how to maximize the relationship without walking away from the brand that helped build it."
Overall, the MCWS averaged 2.82 million viewers across ESPN platforms, which has it behind only last year's LSU-Florida series as the most-watched on record.
"We look forward to honoring the content that moved audiences in 2026 and continuing the Gracies’ long-standing investment in the people who will shape what comes next.”