Before he departed for Paris to cover the Olympics for CBC, Ariel Helwani confirmed that his contracts at Vox Media and Spotify were each nearing their ends.
And despite expressing optimism that he would reach agreements to remain with both companies moving forward, it appears the prominent MMA reporter will return to the United States a free agent. In a video posted to X on Tuesday, Helwani revealed that he won’t be re-signing with either Vox or Spotify when his contracts with both companies expire on Thursday.
“This has been an incredible three-year stretch post-ESPN. I got to do a lot of cool things with a lot of great people,” Helwani said. “After many, many, many, many months, of contemplating and dissecting and thinking about what the next move should be, I’ve decided to move on from both companies… I couldn’t have dreamt of a better scenario post-ESPN than this, working for two incredible companies filled with incredible people.”
Life update:
Goodbye Vox Media and Spotify. Thank you for three incredible years.
Next (very exciting) chapter: 🔜 pic.twitter.com/wpGSargU7p
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 13, 2024
Helwani noted that he received generous offers from both companies, which he said were difficult to turn down. He also said that he wouldn’t rule out an eventual return to either outlet, especially considering his extensive history at Vox, where he worked prior to his stints at Fox and ESPN before returning in 2021.
As for what’s next, Helwani said that he’s not ready “to announce what the next step is” but said that “it is one that I am incredibly excited about.” He also added “that it had to be something incredibly amazing” for him to turn down the opportunity to remain at Vox.
Helwani said that he’ll make an announcement regarding what’s next for him in a matter of days or weeks and no later than Labor Day. He also said he’s not sure what’s next for his popular show, The MMA Hour, which he hosted at Vox.
While Helwani may not be on the best of terms with UFC president Dana White (to say the least), his track record as both an MMA reporter and personality speaks for itself. And considering his status as the industry’s preeminent MMA insider, it will obviously be notable to see where Helwani goes from here — especially with UFC’s media rights deal with ESPN set to expire at the end of 2025.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.